Empty Nesters
by Dracodoodle
Summary: Harry and Ginny are excellent parents, but it turns out they're not as good at being a couple once all of their children are out of the house. Mentions of HP/GW and past DM/AG, primarily HP/DM.
1. Chapter 1

**Empty Nesters**

 **Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **Summary:** Harry and Ginny are excellent parents, but it turns out they're not as good at being a couple once all of their children are out of the house. Mentions of HP/GW and past DM/AG, primarily HP/DM. Rating may change eventually.

 **A/N:** This is the first story that I've attempted in quite a few years. I want to see how people feel about it, and if I should continue it or not. All feedback is encouraged!

 **Chapter 1**

Harry Potter stood next to his wife, Ginny, taking in the chaos that is Platform 9 ¾ and King's Cross Station on September 1st. Their two oldest children, James and Albus, were alternating between yelling greetings to various friends and trying to console their little sister. It was Lily Potter's first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and to say that she was nervous would be an understatement. She was a reserved girl by nature, and the commotion on the platform was not helping her adjust to the idea of leaving her parents for the first time in her life. In the past, when sending her brothers off to school, she had always been excited for the day she would get to go with them, but now that the day had come, she seemed to have lost some of her nerve.

"C'mon, Lil, you'll have loads of fun at Hogwarts, and it'll be Christmas before you know it!" Albus encouraged, somewhat exasperated by his sister's demeanor.

"Your brother is right, honey. You can write to your father and I anytime you want, and all of your cousins will be at Hogwarts with you. You'll have so much fun you won't even notice we're not around," Ginny responded tenderly, pulling her daughter into a hug. "Now, go on, it's just about time for the train to leave." She kissed her daughter on the forehead before releasing her and giving her a nudge towards her father. Ginny pulled her two sons in for a quick hug, knowing that that was all they would allow with all of their friends around.

"Everything will be alright, Lily-Billy," Harry whispered to her as he pulled her into a bear hug. "I bet by October, I'll have written you so many letters, you'll be begging me to leave you alone." Harry loved all of his children dearly, but he had a particular soft spot for his one and only little girl.

Lily giggled against her father's chest and squeezed him back. "Not possible, Dad." She reluctantly let go and gathered her things, ready to get on the train.

Harry turned to his two boys, and knowing they would die of embarrassment if he tried to hug them, he gave them both a pat on the shoulder, mussing Albus' hair affectionately. "Look after your sister, and stay out of trouble!"

"Yes, Dad," they intoned in unison as they did every year, before getting on the train and completely ignoring his warning. Harry knew he really had no right to tell his children to stay out of trouble, what with all the trouble he had gotten into during his years at Hogwarts, but he still tried every year. Overall, his kids were good kids, but they had certainly inherited their father's knack for getting into trouble, James more than Albus. Much to everyone's surprise, Albus had been sorted into Ravenclaw when he started Hogwarts two short years ago, and he had immediately befriended none other than fellow Ravenclaw, Scorpius Malfoy, son of Harry's former school rival, Draco Malfoy, and his now ex-wife Astoria Greengrass. The Malfoys had divorced quietly a little over a year ago for reasons unknown to Harry, and he had only found out when Albus spoke of his friend splitting his holidays between his estranged parents.

Harry and Ginny waved to their daughter, as Lily stuck her head out of the window of the Hogwarts Express as it began to pull away. Harry slipped an arm around his wife and pulled her closer, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. "And then there were two," he said with a chuckle.

Ginny smiled up at him and giggled like a schoolgirl. "Whatever will we do all alone in that big house of ours?" Harry and Ginny had moved into the old Black family house that Harry had inherited from his godfather, Sirius Black. It had taken quite a lot of work to make it inhabitable and less dreary, but they had made it a cozy home perfect for raising a family.

"I can think of a few things," Harry whispered wickedly in his wife's ear, making her giggle more.

Harry grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the barrier between Platform 9 ¾ and the rest of King's Cross Station. He was eager to enjoy a relaxing evening at home alone with his wife. It was a rare occasion that the two were alone since their children were born, and they were both looking forward to the coming months to reconnect as a couple. In their excitement to get home, Harry did not realize that he almost ran right into another parent also trying to walk through the barrier. Had the other person not stopped abruptly, the couple would have collided with the figure.

Harry looked up, alarmed, and stopped as well. "Malfoy," he said with a curt nod. They had matured since their Hogwarts days, but they still weren't friends by anyone's standards.

"Potter, Mrs. Potter, I was hoping to run into the two of you, although not quite so literally," Malfoy replied with a slight smirk. It didn't hold the same malice as his smirks had in the past but was tinged with amusement.

"Sorry about that. Ginny and I may be a little overexcited to have the house to ourselves for once," Harry answered with a chuckle. "What can we do for you?"

Malfoy gave them a look that Harry couldn't quite figure out how to interpret. Harry realized too late that maybe rubbing in his happiness was not the best plan while Malfoy was clearly here on his own to see of his son. From what Albus told him, Malfoy and his son were very close which would explain the slight slump in Malfoy's shoulders and the look in his eye as Harry continued to speak. He wished he could take it back, but there was no way to do that without further rubbing it in so he stayed quiet. "Oh nothing important. Far be it for me to stop you from enjoying your first night alone with your lovely wife. I'll owl you later on this week." Harry thought he had detected a hint of bitterness in his tone, but he brushed it off quickly. He really did want to get home as soon as possible.

"Alright, if it's not urgent. Have a good night, Malfoy."

"You too, Potter." And with that, he slid through the barrier.

Harry and Ginny followed close behind, but Malfoy was already out of sight when they emerged on the other side. "I wonder what he wanted," Harry mumbled distractedly.

"We'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. Now let's go home," Ginny replied with a wink. She didn't have to ask Harry twice.

It was a little over two hours later when the happy couple arrived home. They had stopped to pick up some ingredients for dinner, as well as a couple expensive bottles of wine. They planned to thoroughly enjoy their first evening alone without the kids.

"Hey, Gin, why don't you pour us some wine while I set everything up to make dinner?" Harry called, making his way into the kitchen.

"Alright, honey," Ginny called back, following her husband into the kitchen. She poured each of them a generous glass of wine before they set about cooking.

Harry and Ginny spent the next half an hour or so in the kitchen sneaking kisses as they cooked, the kisses turning more heated the more wine they each drank. When dinner was ready they sat down to eat. A comfortable silence fell over the couple as they savored the meal, as well as more wine.

As they finished up, Ginny went to clean up their plates, but Harry stopped her. "I'll clean up. Why don't you take our wine glasses out to the porch, and I'll meet you in a minute?"

Ginny smiled up at him before kissing him tenderly. "A quiet evening on the porch sounds lovely, dear."

Harry set to work, charming the dishes to clean themselves as he opened a second bottle of wine. He brought it out to Ginny, and he settled next to her on the small bench that they had purchased when the children were young so they could sit on the porch and watch their children play in their front yard. Now it seemed like the perfect place to enjoy each other's company, as well as the gorgeous weather they had been having the last couple of days.

Harry slid his arm around his wife, as she snuggled up to his side. They both sipped their wine in silence and watched the sun slowly sink beneath the horizon. Ginny couldn't help but think about how romantic the whole thing was until her husband broke the spell by saying, "You know, I think I might send an owl to Malfoy and see what he wanted earlier."

"Seriously, Harry? We're sitting here enjoying a romantic night together, and you're thinking about Malfoy?" Ginny scoffed.

"I'm just curious, is all. Plus, he looked so dejected. I feel bad for blowing him off earlier."

"Harry, dear, I know that you have a hero complex, but I am sure Malfoy is fine. He said he'd owl with whatever he needed. Stop worrying about it."

"I suppose you're right, Gin."

"Of course I am. I'm your wife, which means I'm always right," she responded, playfully nudging him in the side. "Now, as your wife, I demand that you take me to bed and have your way with me." She batted her eyelashes, giggling.

"Well, I think that can be arranged," Harry answered, scooping her up as she shrieked in surprise. With the help of some magic, he carried his wife up to their bedroom, threw her on the bed, and made love to her without the fear of interruption for the first time in years. Harry wasn't sure if it was the wine or if maybe he had built the moment up too much in his head, but it just wasn't as satisfying as he expected it to be. Just before he dropped into sleep that night, arms wrapped around his wife of 19 years, a fleeting image of Draco Malfoy floated across his closed eyelids with the same puzzling look he had worn at the platform earlier that day. Had Harry stayed awake just a few seconds longer, he may have been able to interpret that look as restrained jealousy mixed with a dash of longing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks to everyone who followed/favorited this story! I'm glad people are interested.

 **Chapter 2**

Draco Malfoy leaned heavily against the door to his study after Apparating from King's Cross Station. He swiftly crossed his study to the liquor cabinet in the corner before pouring himself a generous portion of Ogden's Old. He downed it in one gulp. Had his father still been alive, he would have been appalled. Malfoy's don't do anything as barbaric as gulp. Draco snorted to himself. There are plenty of things in his life that his father wouldn't approve of, the least of which being gulping some firewhisky in the privacy of his own home. Draco poured another glass as he waved his wand at the fireplace to start a fire. He flopped down on the couch in front of the fire, another very un-Malfoy action, and stared at the fire, all the while continuing to sip the comforting drink in his hand.

In recent years, September 1st had become one of Draco's least favorite days of the year. He loved his son dearly and hated having to say goodbye. This year was especially hard for him; it being the first time seeing Scorpius off since Astoria had moved out. The divorce had been finalized a little less than a year ago, last October.

Draco and Astoria had never had the perfect marriage, but for many years Astoria had been there whenever he or his son needed her. There was much speculation after the two married that it had been an arranged marriage between the two families, but that could not have been further from the truth. With Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban after the end of the war, he had very little say in what went on in his son's life, though he approved of his son's choice to marry a respected, pureblood witch. The Greengrass elders, on the other hand, had done everything in their power to stop their youngest daughter from marrying into the Malfoy family. They had done everything they could to stay out of the war, never joining the Death Eaters, but never helping on the side of the Light either. They wanted nothing that could tie them to Voldemort's supporters, even after the war was long over.

Despite this, Draco and Astoria began a whirlwind romance fueled by their mutual desire to forget all of the horrors they had both witnessed in the war. Draco had never truly wanted to be a Death Eater so he wanted nothing more than to forget all about that part of his life. He had found soon after Voldemort was destroyed once and for all that many of his fellow Slytherins did not share similar sentiments. Many of them, his close friends included, spent far too much time, in Draco's opinion, reminiscing about the war and discussing ill-formed revenge plots. When Daphne brought Astoria with her one night to the pub, she was like a breath of fresh air. She and Draco had talked and joked all night about everything but the war. After that day, they had been inseparable.

A few months later, Astoria found out she was pregnant, and the Greengrass family, afraid of what others would think if she had a child out of wedlock, gave their blessing for the two to marry. Just days after the wedding, Astoria had a miscarriage, but by then the damage was done and the two were legally bound. The couple was happy for awhile and were ecstatic about the birth of their son. It was shortly after Scorpius's birth that things started to take a turn. Draco had made many investments after the war, mostly in various organizations doing work to help those who had lost so much during it. It was when he was checking on the progress of one of these investments when he met Michael Branson. He was a gorgeous man with striking green eyes with black square glasses and light brown hair that always looked slightly windblown. Draco had never considered that he might be attracted to men before, but within moments of meeting Michael, it became painfully obvious that he was indeed attracted to men. It took only a week before he gave into curiosity. The pair had been at a pub tossing back a couple pints while they discussed how best to use Draco's money, and then next thing Draco knew he was getting fucked into Michael's mattress wondering why he had never been with a man until this point.

He hadn't meant to cheat on his wife, but after that first time it had continued to happen over the course of the next several years. There had been Mark, an overall average looking man except for his bright, expressive green eyes. Next was Bryan, an attractive man with jet-black hair that looked particularly sexy after being disheveled during a long night of sex. There was David, a fit blond man that Draco had met while teaching Scorpius to fly and who had invited Draco to join in a seeker's match later that night. The man was an incredible flyer, and the game had ended winner taking all, including Draco back to his place. There was Aiden, a thoughtful man with round silver glasses and an infuriating need to be selfless. Lastly, there had been Harold, a gorgeous man of average build with dark brown hair and green eyes.

None of these men had lasted long, and it is not as if Draco was constantly having an affair. It apparently had happened often enough, however, that Astoria had taken notice, and Harold had been the last straw. She confronted him one day with pictures of every man that Draco had ever slept with. He had been stunned. He had no idea that she had ever suspected a thing. At the time, Astoria had been eerily calm about the situation: she simply laid the pictures on the table in front of him and stared at him impassively. Draco had tried to apologize and reassure her that it wouldn't happen again, but neither of them believed him. The only thing that Astoria had said to him that day was, "Divorce me quietly, give me everything I ask for, and I won't tell the _Prophet_ that you're in love with Harry Potter." She had then stood up and left for her sister's.

At the time, Draco had been shocked and enraged into silence. He had had no idea what she was talking about. In the coming months, however, he obsessed about her comment and began to see that perhaps all of his lovers did have some resemblance to Potter in some way or another. That did not mean that he was in love with him. Or so Draco thought, but after his reaction today at King's Cross, he was a little shaken. He tried to tell himself that the flash of jealousy he'd felt, and certainly kept masked as a proper Malfoy should, was simply because he'd been alone for so long. It had nothing to do with Potter himself, right? Somehow, he couldn't even quite convince himself that this was true.

"Well fuck," he groaned aloud. He threw his now empty glass against the wall opposite him. With a wave his wand and a mumbled " _Reparo"_ it was as good as new. It still had been somewhat satisfying to watch it shatter. He then poured himself another generous glass of firewhisky with every intent to get pissed and stop obsessing over the bloody Boy Who Lived Twice.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** I hope everyone's enjoying it so far! Thanks for the favorites/follows to let me know I should continue. Special shout out to Ern Estine 13624 for the reviews!

 **Chapter 3**

The next few weeks did not pass in the honeymoon-like bliss that Harry had imagined now that their children were off at Hogwarts. In the months leading up to Lily's first day at the school, he had fantasized about romantic dinners, carefree flirting, and plenty of sex. In short, he had expected to go back to how it was in the early days of their marriage. This was probably an unrealistic fantasy to have, and Harry had to admit he was somewhat disappointed. He and his wife had not sex since the first night alone, and there wasn't much conversation at all beyond grumbles about their days at work, let alone carefree flirting. Harry figured they just needed some time to adjust to life without at least one of their children around at all times, and once they adjusted things would get better.

Harry had had a rough day at work, and he was looking forward to nothing more than slipping into his pajamas and drinking a couple of beers. He just needed to relax. Stepping into the house, he called for his wife, "Hey, Gin, I'm home."

Ginny appeared at the top of the stairs a couple seconds later, dressed in a shimmery, black cocktail, slipping an earring into her ear. "Hi, honey, I'm glad you're home. I made us reservations at that new French restaurant in Diagon Alley that we've been wanting to try." She descended the stairs and kissed her husband chastely on the cheek. She could feel the tension rolling off him. "What's wrong? Bad day at work?"

Harry sighed, "Just long, is all. I was looking forward to a relaxing evening in."

Ginny pouted slightly before looking him right in the eye, "Harry, I don't know if you've noticed this, but the last few weeks we've been in a bit of rut. I think a nice night out could do us some good."

Sighing again in defeat, Harry replied, "You're right, Ginny, and you look absolutely gorgeous. I'll go change into something a little nicer."

Ginny beamed at him before grabbing his hand and leading him upstairs to get ready.

About halfway through dinner Harry sat sipping whatever expensive wine that Ginny had ordered for the two of them and wracking his brain for something, anything really, to talk about. They had already spoken in detail about their days at work, the recent letter they had received from Lily, and their relief that they hadn't received a letter from the Headmistress about either of their sons yet. When had he lost the ability to have an easy, prolonged conversation with his wife? He thought back over the last several years and realized that their lives had revolved around taking care of their children for so long. Somehow they had lost touch with one another. The real question, then, was would they be able to find their way back? He shook his head and frowned, attempting to not dwell on such dark thoughts.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Ginny spoke up, brushing her hand over his hand that was resting on the table.

Harry panicked. He didn't want to tell Ginny what he had been thinking about so instead he replied with the first thing that came to mind. "I was just thinking that Malfoy never owled us about what he wanted at King's Cross." As soon as it was out of his mouth, he knew it was a mistake.

Ginny's face darkened and snapped back, "Seriously, Harry? Malfoy? That's what you were thinking about while we're out on a date? Honestly, I thought this silly obsession of yours had ended ages ago."

Harry sputtered indignantly, nearly choking on his sip of wine. "Obsession? With Malfoy? Ginny, that's ridiculous."

"Is it, Harry? You followed him around all through school, you defended him and his mother at their trials after the war, and you immediately notice anytime he walks into a function we're attending."

Harry stared at her, mouth agape. He took a deep, slow breath to calm his temper before he responded. The last thing that he needed was a public argument with his wife that could end up in the _Prophet._ Even after all these years, people were still fascinated by any hint of drama in the war hero's life. "I followed him around in school because he was always up to something. I defended him and his mother because they both saved my life during the war, and without them Voldemort would have won. I hardly think that I immediately notice anytime he walks in a room, but if I do it is simply because I have been an Auror for over 20 years so I am trained to be observant." Ginny gave him a skeptical look but took a sip of her wine instead of responding. "Don't give me that knowing look. You're bloody mental if you think I'm obsessed with Malfoy."

"Of course, dear. If it bothers you so much, you may as well owl him when we get home to ask what he wanted."

"Maybe I will," Harry responded with a curt nod. The remainder of dinner was spent in a stony silence from Harry and annoyed glances from Ginny. When they got home, Harry locked himself in his study until he was sure that his wife had already fallen off before sliding into bed next to her.

The next morning, Harry awoke still fuming. How dare she accuse him of such a ridiculous thing? He had bloody well hated the git all through school but that doesn't mean that he was _obsessed_ with him. As he lay in bed, still thinking over the previous night, he soon realized that he was less upset about what Ginny had actually said than why it bothered him so much. Hermione used to say the same thing while they were in school and even after they had left Hogwarts, and sure, he had gotten annoyed at her. His reaction to Ginny's remark was far past annoyed and on to downright furious. Resolving to let it go, Harry sighed and slowly climbed out of bed. He would apologize to Ginny about his overreaction and hopefully things would go back to normal. He was still going to owl Malfoy though, no matter what his wife thought. He couldn't help being curious about what the man had wanted from them when they had run into him at the train station.

When Harry arrived in the kitchen, Ginny was already sitting at the table drinking tea and reading the _Daily Prophet_. "Good morning, Gin," he said with a smile before giving his wife a kiss on the cheek. Ginny smiled wearily before turning back to her paper. "I'm really sorry about last night. I overreacted."

She looked up again, this time relieved. "I'm sorry too, dear. I didn't mean what I said." Harry couldn't help but notice that he wasn't quite convinced by his wife's apology. Instead of arguing, however, he simply nodded and poured himself some water to make tea. There was no sense arguing with her about this. It would only make things worse.

As the couple continued to drink their tea, the all too familiar silence descended between them, and Harry did his best not to let it bother him. Instead, he set about trying to figure out what the bloody hell he was going to say to Malfoy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for everyone who favorited/followed this story! I especially appreciate reviews :)

 **Chapter 4**

Draco sat at the desk in his study composing a letter to his son. The last two letters he had sent had gone unanswered, and Draco was starting to get anxious. He knew that his son loved him and was simply caught up in his classes and his friends, but it was hard for Draco to relax. He missed his son dearly, and he was just so alone in his huge ancestral manor. He had considered selling it many times recently, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. It had been in his family for centuries and knew it wouldn't be right. Plus, he knew his son loved coming home to the Manor over breaks from Hogwarts and wouldn't want to deprive Scorpius of that simple pleasure. Sighing and rubbing his forehead in frustration, Draco set down his quill. He could feel a headache coming on and figured he may as well take a potion before it got worse. As he stood, Draco heard a tapping at the window. Hovering outside was a plain, brown barn owl with a letter tied to its leg. Draco froze and stared at the owl. It looked an awful lot like the nondescript owls the Ministry tended to use to send mail. But what would the Ministry need from him? He hadn't gotten a letter from them since his trial had ended all of those years ago.

Attempting not to panic, Draco opened the door and retrieved the letter from the bird. He gave it a couple of treats before the owl took off. Obviously it had not been instructed to wait for a response. Taking a deep breath, Draco examined the letter. Sure enough, it was sealed with the Ministry's seal. Bloody hell, what could this possibly be about?

Draco opened the letter and immediately skipped to the signature at the end. _H. Potter._ Leave it to Potter to send such an official looking letter about absolute rubbish. Draco took a calming breath before reading the rest of the letter.

 _Malfoy,_

 _How are you? I hope all is well with you. I never heard from you after running into you at King's Cross a few weeks ago. You mentioned that there was something you wished to discuss. What do you say we discuss it over a couple pints at The Leaky Cauldron Friday night, say around 7pm? Let me know if this works with your schedule._

 _Sincerely,_

 _H. Potter_

Draco simply stared at the letter in confusion. Potter wanted to meet him somewhere in public? To have a couple drinks? Had he and Potter become mates without his knowledge? What would they even have to talk about for a whole evening? Now he could really feel a headache forming so he simply laid the letter on his desk and left to obtain a Pain Potion.

A couple days later, on Thursday, Draco sat at the desk in his study, staring at Potter's letter. He had yet to answer the bloody thing because he had absolutely no idea what to say to the man. He did know, however, that he had to answer today, as waiting any longer would be downright rude and rather undignified. Malfoys were many things but undignified as not one of them.

On the one hand, he did have a couple things to discuss with Potter regarding their sons' Christmas break from Hogwarts. In addition, Draco would be lying if he said he hadn't been a tad lonely since Scorpius had gone back to school. A night out with Potter might be nice. Every time he went to respond to Potter that he would be there, an image of Astoria's furious face would appear in his brain, the same angry face she had made after she had accused him of being in love with Potter. And isn't that just what he needed, to end up in the _Prophet_ having dinner with Potter? Astoria would have a field day.

Draco knew that he shouldn't let Astoria's imagined reaction get to him, but he couldn't help it. He didn't need anyone else to get similar ideas to his ex-wife, especially because he had not yet informed his son that he was gay. He didn't need the papers making trouble for his son. He knew better than anyone that Hogwarts students could be cruel. He tried to convince himself that one picture of Potter, a married man, and him in the paper wouldn't lead to rumors of his sexuality, but he simply couldn't. The last thing he wanted is for any of his decisions to negatively impact his son. Deep down he knew he was being paranoid, but he also knew that Scorpius had had a rough first couple months at Hogwarts his first year. He hadn't confided in Draco, but the Headmistress had informed him there had been some trouble. Even after all of these years, being the son of a Death Eater was looked down upon, particularly in Ravenclaw. Everything had gone much more smoothly after Scorpius had befriended the mini-Potter, but the last thing Draco wanted was to rock the boat while things were going so well.

With his mind made up, Draco set about writing a response to Potter.

 _Potter,_

 _Although I appreciate the offer, I unfortunately cannot make time this week to meet up with you. What I wanted to discuss you can easily be done via owl. My son's birthday is December 26_ _th_ _, and his mother will be out of the country for all of December and January. Because of this, it will just be him and me for the holidays. Although he'll never admit it, I know that this will upset him. I think he would very much enjoy seeing his best friend on his birthday, and because he has apparently picked your son for this honor, I wanted to inquire if it would be possible to have him spend some time at the Manor on the 26_ _th_ _. I understand that the holidays are a time for family, and you no doubt have many plans. Please let me know if this is agreeable to you. If the 26_ _th_ _is not an ideal date, perhaps later in the break would be more suitable._

 _Sincerely,_

 _D. Malfoy_

Draco reread the letter once more before sealing it. He knew that he had probably been overly formal, but he just couldn't shake the odd feelings he had been having ever since Astoria had made her appalling accusation. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he headed off to send the letter.

It was around midday on Friday that Draco heard the telltale sound of a Floo call. He made his way into the small parlor off the entranceway, where the open Floo was. Other rooms in the Manor had fireplaces connected to the Floo network, but only a select number of people were allowed access to these.

When Draco arrived, he was alarmed to see none other than Harry Potter's head glowing in his fireplace. Bracing himself for whatever was to come, he knelt in front of the fire. "Potter, lovely to see you. To what do I owe this honor?" As he looked closer, it appeared that Potter had been running or something, as well appeared out of breath.

"It's the boys, Albus and Scorpius. Neville just Flooed to say they're both in the Hospital Wing, unconscious. He was about to Floo you, but I told him I would take care of it."

Draco felt his heart sink into his stomach. "Unconscious? What happened? Are they going to be alright?"

"Neville didn't know exactly what happened, just that he had been the one to find them. It sounds like they'll be alright though. I'm going to head over there and figured you may want to do the same."

"I'll be right there. Thanks, Potter."

Draco ended the Floo call before looking frantically around for his wand. This wasn't the first time that his son had landed himself in the Hospital Wing, but that didn't make it any less nerve-wracking. What if this time, it was more than just minor bumps and bruises? He finally located his wand and immediately Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts. It looked as though he'd be seeing Potter today, after all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** I know it's been a little longer than normal since I've updated. This chapter is longer than the others to make up for it! Thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows!

 **Chapter 5**

After ending the Floo call with Malfoy, Harry immediately Apparated to the gates of Hogwarts, wishing he could Apparate straight to the Hospital Wing. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he could hear Hermione's voice as he had many times before, "Honestly, Harry, haven't you read _Hogwarts: A History_?" Harry shook his head and went to enter the grounds. He hesitated, however, wondering if he should wait for Malfoy.

Harry couldn't help being a little annoyed with the man. He didn't understand why he had declined his offer to grab a pint that evening. It had been ages since school, and he thought they had moved passed any hard feelings. Sure, they weren't exactly what Harry would describe as best mates by any means, but he thought they were at least friendly towards one another. As he continued to sulk, he couldn't help but be annoyed with himself for caring. Not to mention it gave a little too much credence to Ginny's accusation of being obsessed with the man. This only caused Harry to sulk more.

"Something wrong, Potter?" asked a familiar drawl, snapping Harry out of his thoughts. He whipped around to face his blond ex-nemesis. He had his all too familiar smirk plastered on his face, but Harry couldn't help but notice that it lacked the malice it used to contain back in their Hogwarts days.

"Just lost in thought. I figured I would wait for you, and we could walk up to the castle together," Harry replied, all the while trying to clear his previous line of thought.

Malfoy raised one pale eyebrow. "How considerate," he answered, before sweeping his arm in front of him, indicating for Harry to lead the way.

As the two men made the way up to the castle, Harry was struck by how easy the conversation flowed. They didn't talk about anything of any real significance, mostly the boys and work. They spent a lot of time voicing their concerns about their children. It wasn't the content that really struck Harry though. It was just how easily it was to talk to Malfoy, and he had never realized how funny his snarky, dry humor was when it wasn't directed cuttingly at him or his friends. Malfoy's humor hadn't changed much since school, but, like his smirk, seemed to lack the malice of the past. Before Harry knew it, they were standing in front of the Hospital Wing, and he couldn't help but wish the walk had been a little longer. Reprimanding himself for being more concerned about talking to Malfoy than checking on his unconscious son, he stepped in and rushed to Albus's bed.

Harry looked down at his still unconscious son in shock. He looked so much younger lying in the hospital bed. He was much paler than usual and had a large bruise on the side of his face. Harry couldn't help but be reminded of all of the times that Harry himself had been in his son's position. He saw Malfoy slowly approach the bed next to Albus where Scorpius was lying. He heard the other man's sharp intake of breath as he collapsed into a chair next to his son. Harry looked at the other boy lying in the bed. He looked much worse off than Albus. Scorpius had a large bruise on his face as well, along with what looked like a broken wrist that was wrapped as it healed and some possible broken ribs as well.

Harry looked up when he heard the door to the nurse's office open. Neville and Madame Merrywheather, the medi-witch who had taken over when Madame Pomfrey retired, stepped out.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, I'm glad you're both here," the nurse addressed them. "I'm sure that you're wondering what happened. First of all, please know that both the boys will be good as new in no time, but they will need to stay here for awhile to make sure everything heals properly."

"What happened?" Malfoy asked, his voice shaking slightly. Harry could feel the waves of worry rolling off of him from where he sat at his son's bed.

"Well, we're not quite sure," Neville answered. "All I know is that I was heading out to the greenhouses and noticed the Snitch and Bludgers out on the Quidditch pitch. It was during classes so I knew there were no team practices going on. When I went over to investigate, I saw the two of them unconscious on the ground. It looks like they had been playing Quidditch and collided mid-air."

Harry shuddered, remembering all of his near death experiences on a broom. "Albus got off easier. He just has some bruising and a concussion. Scorpius, on the other hand, has some severe bruising along his left side, 3 broken ribs, a broken wrist, and a concussion. As I said, both boys will be fine, but they do need to stay here for recovery. I expect that they should be waking within the hour, however, so you are welcome to stay here until that time," the nurse announced matter-of-factly before turning to check on other patients across the room.

Harry saw Malfoy reach out to grab his son's hand, his posture stiff with worry. He wanted to say something to the other man, but he just wasn't sure what to say so instead he looked down at his unconscious son. He knew that he'd be okay, but that didn't mean he wasn't still worried. He hated seeing his son hurt for any reason and seeing him unconscious in a hospital bed was something he could definitely live with never seeing again. Albus was a Potter, however, so he was sure that this would not be the last time he saw his son in this state.

The next 45 minutes or so were spent with both men deep in thought sitting next to their respective sons. Every once in awhile, Harry would open his mouth to say something to Malfoy, but would immediately close it. He knew there was nothing he could say to make the other man relax, despite how desperately he wanted to help. Harry spent a lot of time contemplating why he wanted to help so badly. On the one hand, he was known for having a bit of a savior complex, but on the other hand, he couldn't help feel that this was different. He just couldn't stand how distressed the other man appeared. Every time he went down this line of thought, it just led back to Ginny's accusation and Harry would immediately focus his thoughts back on his son. After going down this path for about the sixth time, Harry noticed his son's eyes flutter. He appeared to be waking up.

"Albus? Are you awake?" he asked softly. He saw Malfoy's head snap around out of the corner of his eye.

"Dad?" Albus asked, sleepily. "What happened?"

Harry chuckled softly. His son was okay! "I don't know. Professor Longbottom found you and Scorpius on the Quidditch pitch, unconscious, during classes. Care to explain that?"

Albus looked at his father sheepishly. "Well, we both had a free period and thought we could get some extra practice in. I don't remember exactly what happened. All I remember is trying to block a Bludger from hitting Scorpius but being too late. I think he must have run into me afterwards. Is he okay?"

Harry smiled down at his son, the boy's concern for his friend evident in his voice. "Yes, Scorpius will be fine. He should be waking up any minute, but Albus you should know better than playing Quidditch with no supervision. You definitely shouldn't have had Bludgers out for just the two of you!"

"I know! I'm sorry, dad. We just wanted to get some extra practice with a challenge. We won't do it again! I promise! I hate that Scorpius got hurt. It was my idea, and now it's all my fault he's hurt." Albus sounded legitimately distressed about the incident.

Harry was about to respond when Malfoy spoke up. "It's not your fault, Albus. Scoripus should know better, but that's alright. As long as you've learned your lesson, that's what matters. I'm just glad you're both going to be okay." Harry gaped at the other man; he had never heard him speak so gently before.

"Thanks, Mr. Malfoy. I really am sorry."

Malfoy smiled at Albus. "I know, everything will be fine."

Albus visibly relaxed, but Harry could tell that Malfoy was still visibly tense. Just as he was about to finally offer his support, he heard a soft grunt from Scorpius's bed. He must be awake. "I'll go find Madame Merryweather," Harry mumbled, before leaving to give Malfoy and his son some semblance of privacy.

Harry returned a few minutes later with the nurse in tow. She did a thorough examination of both of the boys and deemed that Albus could leave but Scorpius had to stay overnight to ensure that his bones healed properly. Harry could see that Malfoy was visibly shaken by this news. Albus, however, refused to leave the Hospital Wing until his friend could leave with him. Harry was proud of his son for sticking by his friend in his time of need.

The next couple hours were spent chatting with his son and making sure he didn't need anything while keeping an eye on Malfoy and his son to see if the blond man had relaxed at all. He seemed slightly more relaxed once Scorpius woke up, but he still had waves of tensions rolling off of him.

Around 6 o'clock that evening Madame Merryweather brought the boys dinner and suggested gently that they were in good hands so there was no need for Harry and Malfoy to stay. Harry agreed with the nurse, but he could tell that Malfoy was much more reluctant to leave his son. "Hey Malfoy, I know you said you were busy, but given the circumstances, how about we get a pint or 2 at The Three Broomsticks before heading home? It's been a long day; we could both stand to relax," Harry suggested casually. For reasons that Harry couldn't pinpoint, he felt anything but casual while suggesting it.

Malfoy froze for a second after the question. Harry could tell that he wasn't sure what to make of the invitation and was fairly certain he was about to be rejected for a second time. And then, to Harry's surprise, Malfoy shrugged. "Sure, why not? You're right, Potter, it's been a rough day."

Harry smiled at his schoolboy nemesis. He turned to give his son one last hug and bid him goodbye while Malfoy did the same. The two men then left the Hospital Wing together to start what Harry could only hope was the beginning of a friendship.

The duo arrived at the Three Broomsticks awhile later. There were a few people already seated at tables but it was certainly less crowded than during a Hogsmeade weekend. Harry and Malfoy took a seat at the bar, and Harry immediately ordered them two pints of butterbear and two shots of firewhisky.

Malfoy cocked an eyebrow at him after hearing his order but didn't comment. Harry smirked at him. "What?" he asked innocently. "It's been a rough day."

He saw the corner of Malfoy's mouth twitch as if he wanted to smile but stopped it. He then downed his shot and half of his butterbeer. "I suppose you have a point," he drawled.

Harry watched the other man down his alcohol, mouth agape. He decided the best course of action was to follow suit. The walk to Hogsmeade had been slightly more strained than the walk to Hogwarts, and Harry couldn't help but want to erase that awkwardness. He had quite enjoyed their earlier walk. He lifted what was left of his butterbeer towards Malfoy. "To the boys' health."

Malfoy raised his glass, as well. "Cheers," he responded before downing the rest of the liquid in his glass. He then signaled to the bartender to bring another round. It was time for Harry to cock an eyebrow him. Malfoy shrugged back. "Rough day, right?" he replied with a grin.

Harry shook his head with a smile. A little liquid courage never hurt anyone. "So, about your owl," he began, as he downed his second shot of firewhisky.

"Oh yes, we should discuss this since we're here. I know that you probably have many traditions with the…Weasleys, but I know it would mean the world to Scorpius to have his best friend over for his birthday." Harry chuckled inwardly. He could tell that Malfoy had to physically restrain himself from calling the Weasleys a derogatory name, but he had a greater respect for the man for restraining himself.

Harry nodded. "We usually spend the night at the Weasleys after Christmas dinner and spend Boxing Day with Molly and Arthur. It's mostly just sitting around and relaxing so it's no problem at all for Albus to miss out on it. I'm sure he would much rather spend time with Scorpius, and I would hate for him to be miserable on his birthday."

Malfoy beamed, yes genuinely beamed at him. "Are you sure? You, Ginevra, and the rest of the children are invited, as well. Only if you would like to come along, that is."

Harry couldn't contain his shock at hearing that he was invited to Malfoy Manor. It must have shown on his face because Malfoy quickly added, "Only if you want to of course."

Harry snorted. "I can't imagine that Ginny would even consider it, but I might accompany Albus." He could tell by the look in Malfoy's eyes that he desperately wanted to ask why Ginny wouldn't consider it, but he didn't ask. It's probably un-Malfoy like to be curious. Harry snorted again at his thoughts.

The rest of the evening passed relatively uneventfully. The pair ordered food to accompany, at this point, the copious amount of alcohol they had consumed. Harry had lost track of how many butterbears he had drank at that point. He knew he was acting drunk, but he simply couldn't help it. He also marveled that, besides the slight flush on his face, Malfoy didn't appear drunk in the slightest.

As the night was winding down, Harry, fueled by all the alcohol, decided to confide in Malfoy about why Ginny wouldn't be accompanying him on Boxing Day. "Do you wanna know why Ginny would never consider coming with on Scorpius's birthday?" Malfoy raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. "She thinks I'm obsessed with you."

At that, all of the color drained from Malfoy's face, and he looked as if he had just seen the ghost of his late father. He threw some money on the table, with a mumbled, "I have to go." And before Harry could process what was happening, Malfoy had Apparated away, leaving Harry staring at the space he had occupied for several minutes, wondering what had just happened.

 **A/N:** I only have a vague idea of where this story is going so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows! I hope everyone's liking it so far!

 **Chapter 6**

Upon arriving back at the Manor, Draco banged his fist on the wall of his bedroom. What the blood _fuck_ had he been thinking, just Apparating away like that? Of all of the un-Malfoy things he had ever done in his life, this one ranked pretty high on the list. Malfoys bid their dining partner adieu politely after dinner has concluded, and they certainly didn't completely lose their cool in public. He didn't have the slightest idea what had come over him, but he knew that as soon as the words had come out of Potter's mouth he absolutely had to get out of the pub.

Draco flopped back on his bed with a sigh. What was a flop in the privacy of his home compared to the utter fool of himself in public just minutes earlier? He had, to his surprise, genuinely enjoyed the dark-haired man's company. Potter was a lot more observant than he remembered him being from school, and it translated into a wicked sense of humor, especially at the expense of those around him. It never came out cruel, however, just a way to entertain. He also had enjoyed hearing the other man talk about his children. He could tell that Potter was a great father and cared for his family deeply, and that was something that Draco could relate to easily.

Why had Potter's words affected him so dramatically that he forgot all sense of decorum and simply Apparated away without explanation? Deep down, Draco had a pretty good idea that this may have something to do with how similar the words had been to Astoria's accusation preceding their divorce and the implications of this fact, but he simply refused to let that thought become a conscious one. Instead of dwelling on the evening for even a moment longer, Draco found himself a Dreamless Sleep Draught and instantly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.

The next morning came far too quickly for Draco's taste, and he did his best to ignore the sunlight streaming through his curtains to avoid the day a little longer. He did a fairly adequate job of this until he heard the telltale tapping of an owl at his bedroom window. He groaned, knowing that the chance of falling back to sleep was now close to zero. He slowly sat up in bed and stretched, before sliding out of bed and making his way over to the window.

Once he arrived at the window, he realized there were two owls hovering outside. One was a dignified Eagle owl, who was patiently waiting for Draco, whereas the other was a small Pygmy owl, that couldn't seem to contain its excitement about delivering its letter. The former owl seemed rather annoyed that he happened to be there at the same time as the enthusiastic puff of feathers next to him. Draco decided to put it out of its misery and reached for this letter first. The larger owl immediately took off after Draco had removed the message. The letter was sealed with the Hogwarts crest. His first thought was something wrong with Scorpius, but he then remembered that his son was already in the Hospital Wing so it was unlikely that anything worse could have happened since yesterday. Comforted by this thought, he reached for the other message before the owl it was attached to spontaneously combusted from sheer excitement. He couldn't help but be curious about who this annoying little owl belonged to.

The owl hovered for a moment before Draco shooed it away after giving it a few owl treats. He didn't even know who the message was from, let alone if he would be responding or not. He opened the letter from Hogwarts first to make sure that everything with Scorpius's recovery was going well.

 _Dear Mr. Malfoy,_

 _I am happy to inform you that Scorpius has made a full recovery overnight. All of the bones have healed, and the bruises have faded to barely visible. There also seems to be no lasting damage from the concussion. Both boys have been properly reprimanded and punished for their reckless behavior._

 _Sincerely,_

 _S. Merryweather_

Draco smirked at the last line. He was glad that the school was holding the boys responsible for their actions, despite their injuries. He hated to think what would happen if Scorpius didn't learn his lesson this time. He shuddered at the thought before picking up the second letter he had received. As he scanned down to the signature line, Draco's heart stopped. He should have known this would happen.

 _Malfoy,_

 _I wanted to apologize for last night, although I'm not entirely sure what happened. I was having a good time chatting with you, and I apologize if I offended you in any way. I was more than a little pissed at the end of the evening- couldn't even Apparate home, was too afraid I'd splinch myself. I had to ask to use the Floo at the pub. One of the perks of being the Savior of the Wizarding World, you know. I realize that probably came out rather arrogant on paper, but it was meant as a joke. Anyway, I hope that if I have offended you that you can forgive me, and maybe you'd like to get a pint or two again?_

 _H. Potter_

 _P.S. Sorry about the owl. I know he's a bloody pain, but I let Lily help pick it out, and she's absolutely in love with the damned thing._

Draco tried to suppress a grin at the bit about the owl, but he wasn't quite successful. He could just picture Potter trying desperately to convince his daughter to pick a different owl but not really being able to resist her. Draco had certainly been in similar situations with Scorpius enough times to know that there were some sacrifices that were worth making to see your child smile. For example, when Scorpius was 7 he had picked out the most god-awful tie that Draco had ever seen and given it to him for his birthday. It was green with silver dragons on it, which was a little tacky but fine except that the tie was a neon green and the dragons were a very sparkly silver that were charmed to moved around the tie. They tended to move around to the back of the tie much more often than Draco would have preferred and without fail would tickle him, making him giggle at the most inopportune times. Despite this, Draco wore that tie weekly for months because he couldn't resist watching his son's face light up every time he wore it.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he scowled at the letter from Potter. With a quick _Incendio_ , the letter was gone. Draco was not ready to deal with the confusion and embarrassment of last night, and he certainly had no idea what to say to Potter to explain his actions. Instead, he would simply pretend nothing had happened. Yes, that seemed like a great plan to him. Surely Potter would be fine and wouldn't push the issue any further. After all, it's not like there was any truth to his batty wife's accusations.

Or at least that's what Draco would tell himself repeatedly for the next few months to justify not responding to Potter's multiple owls. No truth to it at all.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows!

 **Chapter 7**

The next several weeks passed in much the same fashion as previous ones had for Harry. Before he knew it, it was the day before his children were set to come home for the Christmas holidays. And thank Merlin for that. The tension between he and Ginny had reached an all-time high, to the point that some days they didn't speak at all. One or the other would stay at work late and only return after the other was long in bed. And the days they did get a chance to talk, the conversation seemed forced and uncomfortable, that is if it didn't end in an argument. Harry kept telling himself that it was just a phase, but it was getting harder and harder to believe that it would get better. The couple had yet to address the issues, but he knew it was only a matter of time before they'd have to discuss it.

Because he and Ginny spent so little time together these days, Harry spent a lot more time than he would like to admit thinking about the night with Malfoy many weeks ago. He had written him three separate times, attempting to get an explanation for his odd behavior, but all his letters went unanswered. This bothered Harry to the point of fixation. He just didn't understand why the other man had reacted the way he did. Until one day he came to the conclusion that Malfoy must have been so utterly disgusted with the possibility of Harry's obsession that he simply couldn't handle being in his company any more.

Upon coming to this conclusion, Harry was forced to reflect on just how much time he had spent _obsessing_ , because there was really no other word that accurately described his attention to the subject. This made him realize that perhaps Ginny was right, and he was a tad obsessed with Malfoy. That was only natural though, right? He had spent so many years in school constantly wondering what the other boy was up to next that it was only natural to stay curious about the man he had become. Or so Harry told himself repeatedly.

Every once in awhile Harry would start to contemplate alternative explanations for his obsession, but he would quickly abandon this train of thought. He was not prepared to embark on that sort of self-discovery at this point in his life. Plus, he was sure there was nothing to discover. Or at least, fairly certain.

Harry sighed when he heard the front door open, signaling Ginny's arrival. He exited his study, hoping for silence or a short conversation but bracing himself for yet another fight about nothing of importance. It was with this thought that Harry realized it was time to have a serious conversation with his wife.

"Hi, Gin," he called as he descended the stairs.

The only response was a slight wave when he reached the entryway where Ginny was hanging up her robes in the closet. "Gin, I think we need to talk."

This time, Harry definitely got a response. Ginny's head snapped up, and she turned to glare at him, her eyes devoid of all emotion. "This is not the time, Harry. The children will be home tomorrow, and we will have a happy Christmas holiday as a family. When the kids are back at Hogwarts if you still think we need to talk then we'll talk then." With that, she swept past her husband and up the stairs, locking herself in their bedroom.

Harry stared at the spot that his wife had just stood for a moment before shaking himself out of it. He supposed Ginny had a point about waiting until after the children returned to school to talk, but he didn't like that she had put it all on him. If _he_ thought they needed to talk at that time, she had said. As if she had no concerns and didn't feel that the talk was needed. If that was the case, his wife was far better at deluding herself than he was.

The next morning Harry woke up to the sounds of an owl tapping on the window of their bedroom. He was about to go retrieve the message until he heard Ginny make her way over to the window. He heard a short exhale from her and then felt a light pressure on his head. "It's for you," Ginny intoned.

Harry looked at her in bemusement before examining the letter that had landed on his head. Upon seeing the crest, he immediately understood why Ginny had acted so coldly towards him. The letter was sealed with the Malfoy crest. Harry felt his insides seize up with what exactly he wasn't sure - some sort of emotion he couldn't quite place. What could Malfoy possibly want from him at this point?

 _Potter,_

 _I hope all is well with you and your family. I apologize for my lack of correspondence as of late, but I have been terribly busy with work. As the Christmas holidays are upon us, I wanted to inquire if you would still be gracious enough to allow Albus to spend Boxing Day at the Manor. I know that Scorpius would be thrilled to have him there for his birthday._

 _Best regards,_

 _D. Malfoy_

Harry snorted after he came to the end of the letter. Why Malfoy felt the need to be so damned formal with all of his letters Harry would never understand, but he was glad that he had finally heard from the other man. He had been somewhat concerned that after the strange incident at the pub that Malfoy would rescind the invitation for Albus to go to the Manor. Thinking about it now, Harry should have known better. If there was one thing he had learned about Malfoy all those weeks ago now, it was that he loved his son very much and would do almost anything for him. Overcoming a small, awkward incident would not have stopped Malfoy from letting Scorpius see his friend on his birthday, and he would bet that Malfoy knew it wouldn't prevent Harry from letting Albus go to the Manor. What Malfoy probably didn't anticipate was that Harry was going to stick to his original plan and accompany Albus in an effort to figure out what had happened.

Harry smiled to himself with that thought and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. When he stood up, he found himself face-to-face with a furious Ginny. "What exactly could he have said to have you smiling like that?" she demanded.

Harry sighed, he would not let this escalate into a full-blown fight. It just wasn't worth it. "Nothing, Gin. Can't a man be happy that he gets to see his children in a few hours?"

Ginny looked as if she wanted to argue that, but she changed her mind. "You're right. I'm excited to see them as well. I'm sorry I overreacted."

Harry gave his wife a small grin. He hadn't heard an apology from her in months. They usually just fought and then ignored each other until the tension dissipated slightly. Then the cycle would repeat when one of them blew up about something else. "Let's have some breakfast and then go get our children."

Ginny smiled back and nodded. She grabbed her husband's hand to pull him in for a brief kiss. Their children were coming home, and maybe everything would be fine. After she made her way down to make breakfast, Harry quickly scrawled a response to Malfoy to inform him that Albus would be at the Manor around 10 am on Boxing Day. And if he conveniently forgot to mention that he would be accompanying his son, well, that was just a small oversight on his part.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follows. Sorry it's been awhile since the last update! This chapter just wasn't flowing very well.

 **Chapter 8**

Draco sighed in relief after reading the letter from Potter. He didn't want to have to explain himself to the other man, but he would have if it helped convince him to let Albus come over. He had had a feeling, however, that Potter wouldn't be able to say no to something that would make his own son happy. Draco had also made sure to avoid any mention of Potter accompanying his son, and the darker haired man hadn't mentioned it. Draco was quite relieved about this. He just couldn't bring himself to face the man after the night at the pub.

For the next hour or so, Draco found himself restless. He had been sitting at his desk attempting to get some work done, but he kept shifting around, fidgeting, and checking the time. Finally, it was close enough to the arrival of Hogwarts Express that he deemed it appropriate to Apparate to King's Cross Station. As he passed through the barrier to Platform 9 ¾, he was happy to see many other parents just as eager to see their children as he was to see Scorpius. He found a place close to the tracks to wait for the train. He shifted from foot to foot, attempting to release some of his nervous energy.

Time seemed to pass more slowly than Draco ever imagined was possible as he waited impatiently for his son's arrival. As he continued to keep his eyes on the train, there was a flash of red hair just at the edge of his peripheral vision. Draco's stomach flipped. He knew it was irrational, but he just knew that was Potter and his wife. He risked taking a peek and was met with Potter's emerald gaze. He immediately snapped his head forward and was immensely relieved to hear the Hogwarts Express pulling into the station. The thought of seeing Scoprius for the first time since he was in the Hospital Wing pushed all thoughts of Potter into the back of his mind.

After the train came to a stop at the platform, slowly but surely Hogwarts students started to trickle out of the many compartments. Eventually, Draco was able to spot the white-blonde head of his son. Once Scorpius spotted him, he waved enthusiastically. He turned around to say goodbye to the boy behind him, who Draco belatedly identified as Albus Potter, before bounding enthusiastically over to his father. Draco gathered his son into his arms for a giant hug. "Welcome home, son." He mumbled into the top of his head.

Scorpius hugged him back with just as much enthusiasm before they made their way hand and hand through the wall and back into King's Cross Station. It wasn't until just before he stepped through the divider that Draco registered the feeling of an intense stare on the back of his head that could only belong to one person.

Back at the Manor, Draco and his son sat in the dining room, eating and chatting about the last several months. Scorpius did most of the talking as he went on and on about all of his adventures with his friends at Hogwarts. Draco simply nodded and smiled fondly at his son. When Scorpius had finished all of his stories, he took a sip of his pumpkin juice before looking expectantly at his father. "When is mother getting here to celebrate Christmas?" he asked.

Draco froze. He had meant to explain to his son in a letter that his mother would not be joining them this year, but every time he went to write it, he couldn't bring himself to do it. And now he had no choice but to finally inform his son of the truth. "I'm sorry, Scorpius, I thought I had already told you. Your mother will be out of the country this holiday season so she will not be joining us."

Scorpius's face fell, and Draco felt his heart break a little. "Is she in France with Pierre?" he asked, his voice so low that Draco had to strain to hear him.

Pierre Montmartre was a wealthy, pureblood French wizard whom Astoria had become involved with shortly after their marriage had ended. Draco had his suspicions that the relationship had begun while they were still married, but he really didn't have a leg to stand on when it came to infidelity. The Montmartre family was known for extravagant holiday parties that Astoria had always wanted to drag Draco to while they were married, but he had insisted that it was a time for family. Draco simply nodded.

"And she won't be here for my birthday, either?" His son sounded so dejected that Draco considered sending a Howler to his ex-wife immediately to demand her presence for the holidays, but he knew it would do no good. Astoria couldn't stand him, and Scorpius just wasn't as big of a priority for her as he was for Draco.

"I'm sorry, Little Dragon. She did say you could join her in France if you'd rather." Draco rarely used nicknames for his son, but that was his favorite. Draco's mother had started calling him that when he was a baby because he looked so much like Draco when he was young. He still did, a fact that Draco couldn't help but be proud of. Even though his marriage had failed largely because he wasn't happy and sought happiness elsewhere, he still sometimes wished things could have been different. It would have been painful for him if his son resembled his ex-wife too closely.

"No! Of course I want to stay with you! I just wish she could be here too." Scorpius exclaimed.

"I know, son, but I did plan something that may make you feel a little better."

Scorpius's eyes lit up. "What is it?"

Draco smiled at his son. "Well, I spoke with Mr. Potter, and he said that Albus could come spend the day with us on your birthday."

"Really? Thanks, dad! You know I would have been happy just spending it with you, but it will be even better spending it with both of you!"

Draco felt his heart swell at his son's words. "I know, but I wanted to do something to make it a little more special."

His son got up and hugged him before finishing his dinner as the pair continued to catch up on all they had missed.

The beginning of the break passed relatively uneventfully for Draco and Scorpius. They spent time together simply enjoying each other's company. They played games each night like Exploding Snap and Wizard Chess, the former of which Scorpius had become quite good at during the first term of the school year. They took a trip to Diagon Alley one day and Muggle London another. They even braved the winter chill a couple of times to play some Quidditch. Even when they simply sat by the fire, each of them either reading or writing a letter, Draco was glad to have his son around.

Christmas came and went pretty uneventfully for the Malfoy duo. They exchanged presents in the morning, the most significant of which being a new broom for Scorpius and a rare potions book for Draco. He wasn't sure how his son had managed to track it down, but he was excited nonetheless. That night they had a Christmas feast and ended the evening with a couple butterbeers by the fire and a couple games of Exploding Snap.

After Scorpius was in bed and asleep, Draco poured himself a glass of Firewhisky and sipped it slowly, reflecting on how different his life was since the divorce. He didn't want to dwell on such sad thoughts, but he couldn't help himself. The holiday had reminded him how excited Astoria used to get about Christmas, and how much more festive the house had looked and felt with her decorations and presence. He quickly downed the rest of the alcohol and poured himself another glass to clear the maudlin thoughts. He really needed to move on and try to meet a nice wizard to date and stop moping about his failed marriage. After Scorpius was back at Hogwarts, this would be his new goal. And with that, Draco drifted off into sleep with thoughts of fit men with messy black hair and green eyes.

The next thing Draco was aware of was his son frantically calling for him. He sat up quickly and looked around in confusion. He wasn't in his bedroom; he must have fallen asleep in the study. "Dad! Albus is going to be here any minute! Where are you?"

"In the study, Scorpius."

A minute later, his son popped through the door of the study. "There you are! What are you doing? Why didn't you wake me?"

"I must have fallen asleep down here so there was nothing to wake me up. I'm sorry."

"Well, get up! It's 10 o'clock."

Draco was about to go upstairs to get ready for the day when he heard the sound of the Floo in the front entryway. "He's here!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly.

Draco groaned and followed his son into the entryway. At least he didn't have to worry about his appearance for a couple of teenagers. Albus came through the Floo and immediately wished Scorpius a "Happy Birthday." The two hugged, and Draco looked on with fondness. That is, until he heard the sounds of the Floo again. He immediately snapped his head around and standing in his entryway was none other than Harry Potter.

"Hullo, Malfoy. I hope it's still alright if I join in on the festivities," he greeted with a smirk.

With no other option than to be a good host, Draco nodded curtly and swept his arm to the side, indicating that the other man could come in.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks to those that reviewed! I really appreciate the encouragement!

 **Chapter 9**

With the children home, new life was brought to the Potter house. Harry was happier than he had been in months, and things between him and Ginny seemed much better with the distraction of the children. They had both taken some time off of work to spend with the three of them, and they spent their days going out and playing games. Over dinner every night the couple got to hear about all of the joy and drama of their children's lives at Hogwarts.

All in all, Harry felt like order had been restored to their family. That is until Christmas Eve rolled around. Traditionally, the children would go to bed early on this day so Harry and Ginny could finish any last minute wrapping and getting ready for Christmas morning with the 5 of them before heading over to the Burrow for Christmas dinner with all of the Weasleys. This particular Christmas Eve was much the same as in the past, however, Harry and Ginny were much more behind than usual. And also much more drunk. They had each drank a healthy amount of wine with dinner, and then the minute the children were in bed cracked open a bottle of firewhisky.

Harry looked around at all of the presents that still needed to be wrapped and then over at his wife. She was pouring herself another glass of firewhisky. In that instant, fueled by far too much alcohol and pent up frustration, Harry felt something inside him snap. "Don't you think you've had enough to drink? We have quite a lot to get finished tonight," he asked, an edge to his voice that he was sure Ginny picked up on.

She froze while replacing the cap to the bottle of firewhisky. She whipped around, eyes blazing and then stopped. She took a deep breath and responded lighlty, "You're probably right, darling. I should know better by now."

It should have stopped there. That should have been the end of it. The night should have continued pleasantly while the couple charmed presents to be wrapped and enjoyed each other's company. But Harry couldn't seem to bring himself to do that. "Yeah you should," he spat out. When Ginny didn't answer he continued, "I guess it doesn't really matter. Drunk or sober, you annoy the hell out of me these days." And as soon as it was out of his mouth he regretted it. Not only was it not completely true, it was also completely uncalled for.

Ginny just stared at her husband, tears starting to well in her eyes. Harry opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could his wife pushed past him towards the stairs, firing one of her infamous Bat Bogey hexes over her shoulder. "Well, I probably deserved that," Harry mumbled before uttering the countercurse. He looked miserably around at all the presents, wondering how things had gotten this bad.

Harry was awoken the next morning to a throbbing headache and a sinking feeling in his chest. What had he done? He could only hope that he and Ginny could keep the events of last night from ruining Christmas.

By some miracle, Harry had managed to drunkenly charm the presents wrapped before passing out on the sofa in the living room. They weren't perfect, but they would do. Judging by the sunlight streaming in through the windows, his family would be up soon. Harry didn't want to upset his family so he pulled himself off the couch to take a hangover potion and make it appear that he slept in his bed with his wife last night.

A mere 20 minutes later, the family was gathered in the living room, excitedly chattering and handing out presents. Ginny hadn't said a word to Harry all morning, but she was putting on a good show for the children. She was smiling and laughing, yet her eyes were dull.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur of present opening and a breakfast that Ginny and Lily prepared together while the boys and Harry admired Albus's new broom. In no time it was time to get ready to head to the Burrow for Christmas dinner.

Harry was dressing in some worn jeans and last year's Weasley sweater when Ginny entered the bedroom. "I am so sorry, Ginny. I was just drunk, and I didn't mean what I said."

Ginny just sighed. "I know there was a lot of alcohol involved, but I think there was more truth to that than you're willing to admit."

Harry wanted to protest, but he had to admit that she had a point. "Look, Harry, let's just get through the holiday break as a happy family. Once the kids are back at school, we can sit down and talk about us." With that, she turned to leave the bedroom. "Hurry up, we don't want to be late," she added over her shoulder.

Harry finished getting dressed as the sinking feeling in his chest returned. It was finally hitting him just how serious their relationship problems may be. Now was not the time to dwell on this, however. Now was the time to put on a happy face and give his kids the best Christmas possible.

Christmas dinner passed by boisterously yet uneventfully for the entire Weasley clan. As everything was wrapping up and everyone had entered a food coma, Harry began to gather his family's belongings. "What are you doing?" his wife inquired. "Aren't we going to just stay the night?"

Before Harry could respond, Albus jumped in. "No, Mom, we have to go home so I can get ready for the Malfoys tomorrow!"

It was at that moment that Harry realized he had neglected to inform his wife about the plans tomorrow. Ginny turned to look at her husband, and if looks could kill, Harry would be a pile of ashes. "I'm so sorry, honey. I was sure I had mentioned this to you. It's Scorpius's birthday tomorrow, and Draco invited the family over so Albus could celebrate with him. I figured you wouldn't be interested in coming."

To Ginny's credit, she stayed very composed as she raised one eyebrow. "Draco invited us, did he? Well you're right, count me out. You and Albus will have a lovely time I'm sure."

Ron piped up, oblivious to the tension between his best friend and his sister. "Lovely time with the Malfoys? I doubt it. I hope you appreciate your dad, Albus."

Albus rolled his eyes. "Uncle Ron, Scorpius is my best friend and Mr. Malfoy has never been anything than nice to me. We'll have a great time!"

Ron looked at him incredulously and shook his head. "Never thought I'd hear of Malfoy being nice, but I'll have to take your word for it. I'm sure it'll be great. You should make your dad and Malfoy play a Seeker's game; that'll make for some good entertainment," he chuckled to himself, clapping Albus on the shoulder to make sure there were no hard feelings.

The obligatory group hugs and goodbyes were the last sounds Harry heard before he was pulled into his bedroom by his irate wife. She immediately cast the strongest Silencing Spell she could before rounding on her husband. "Going to hang out with _Draco_ tomorrow are you? Were you ever going to inform _your wife_ of your plans to go hang out with the man you've been obsessed with since you were 11?"

"Ginny, come on. You know that's not true. Draco asked if Albus could come over since it's just him and his son tomorrow. I meant to tell you, but it must have slipped my mind. It's not that big of a deal."

"I understand Albus going over there, and I guess I can believe that you simply forgot to tell me. What I don't understand is why you're going with."

Harry opened his mouth to answer, but no words came out. Why exactly was he so set on going with? Luckily for him, at that moment there was a knock at the door. Ginny cancelled the Silencing Spell and opened the door.

Albus stood in their doorway looking sheepish. "I hope I didn't cause any problems by wanting to go to Scorpius's tomorrow."

Ginny's face softened. "Of course not, sweetheart. I was just surprised because your father forgot to tell me, that's all. I think it's great that you can spend the day with your best friend."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. You boys have fun tomorrow. Lily, James, and I will find something to do."

Albus stepped forward and gave her a hug and then hugged Harry. "Goodnight."

"Night, Albus."

The couple shut the bedroom door. "Let's just go to bed," Ginny sighed.

Harry remained silent as he got ready for bed. It had been a long day, and he wanted nothing more than to sleep soundly. Yet that didn't seem to be in the cards for him. Harry tossed and turned all night, imagining all of the possible scenarios for the next day. By the time morning came, he wondered if Ginny was right. Maybe Harry Potter was obsessed with his childhood nemesis after all.

The next day, Albus was buzzing with excitement about seeing his best friend. "Dad!" he called up the stairs. "Are you ready yet?! It's time to go!"

Harry startled. He had been staring at himself in front of the mirror for the past several minutes, trying to decide if his chosen outfit was acceptable or not. He was wearing some nice, dark jeans with an emerald green button down shirt. He reprimanded himself for even caring. He tried to tell himself he just didn't want Draco to judge him since he would undoubtedly be impeccably dressed, but he wasn't quite convinced. Shaking his head he called back to his son, "I'll be right down!"

And with that Albus and Harry said goodbye to their family, before stepping into the Floo to take them to Malfoy Manor. The first thing that Harry realized was the shock in Draco's eyes when he stepped into the ornate foyer of the Manor, that quickly turned into a polite mask. The second thing he noticed was that he definitely didn't need to be concerned about Malfoy judging his outfit. The other man looked disheveled, as if he just woke up. And yet, there was still a certain air of composure around him that Harry admired. "Hullo, Malfoy. I hope it's still alright if I join in on the festivities," he greeted with a smirk.

Draco nodded and gestured for him to come in. "Good to see you again, Potter," he replied politely before leading them to the study, and if Harry wasn't mistaken he saw a flash of happiness in the other man's eyes as he turned away.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Sorry for the long hiatus before the last chapter. If everything goes according to plan, I will be posting more regularly from now on. Thanks for all of the reviews!

 **Chapter 10**

Draco tried to ignore the bubble of happiness in his chest upon seeing Potter step through his fireplace. He thought he did a good job of covering his reaction as he led everyone into the study. He was having a harder time rationalizing the feelings he was having. He told himself it was simply because before the awkwardness at the end of the night so many weeks ago now he had actually had a good time conversing with the other man. Plus, Draco wasn't blind. Objectively he could acknowledge that Potter was an attractive man, particularly in that shirt that matched his piercing eyes perfectly. It was only natural to get a small thrill from having an attractive man whose company he had enjoyed last time they were together in his house. That was all it was.

Draco was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize his son and best friend had disappeared upstairs, leaving him alone with the object of his contemplation. He turned to face Potter and gestured for him to take a seat on the sofa. "Can I get you something to drink? Tea, water, firewhisky?"

Potter quirked an eyebrow in amusement. "How about we start with some tea. Seems a little early for firewhisky."

Draco got to work preparing the tea. "No judgement, Potter. If I remember correctly from the last time we were together, you're quite fond of the firewhisky," he responded with a chuckle.

Potter laughed along with him before stopping abruptly. He opened his mouth to say something, but Draco cut him off. "Look, Potter, about that night. I'm sorry I left so abruptly. I don't know what came over me; I guess I just had a little too much to drink."

"No worries. I had as much to drink as you had. I apologize if I made you uncomfortable in any way."

"We'll just have to control ourselves a little better next time," Draco replied with a wink. He mentally kicked himself. A wink, seriously? They were starting to smooth things over, the last thing that they needed was for Potter to think that Draco was trying to flirt with him. Which he most certainly was not.

But if Potter was at all bothered, he didn't let it show, and all was fine. The pair drank their tea and chatted about everything from their holidays to memories from Hogwarts. Before they knew it, the boys were in the study inquiring about lunch. Draco cast a Tempus Charm and was shocked to see it was almost 1 o'clock in the afternoon. "Where has the time gone?" he exclaimed. "Let's go heat up lunch."

The four made their way to the dining room to eat a meal of all of Scorpius's favorite foods, followed by large pieces of decadent chocolate cake. "So what have you boys been up to?" Harry asked, giving his son a fond look.

"Just hanging out," Scorpius replied with a shrug.

Draco rolled his eyes at his son. "'Just hanging out?' Potter, I think we officially have a couple teenagers on our hands."

Potter chuckled. "It appears we do. And what are the plans for after lunch? More hanging out?"

Albus and Scorpius exchanged a mischievous look. "Actually we were thinking maybe something a little different…" Albus began.

Scorpius jumped in, "Since it's my birthday and all…"

"We were wondering if we could watch the two of you play a Seeker's game?" Albus finished.

Draco looked at his son incredulously, "What brought this on then?"

Harry sighed, "That would be my best friend."

Albus giggled. "Uncle Ron said it would be entertaining."

"Plus, sometimes Professor Longbottom tells us stories about the two of you when you were in school. Sounds like you had quite the Quidditch rivalry," Scorpius added.

"Well," Potter responded with a smirk. "Can it really be considered a rivalry if Draco never actually caught the Snitch before me?"

If Draco's heart skipped a beat at the sound of his first name coming from Potter's mouth, he certainly didn't acknowledge it. "Whoa there, Potter. How about you put your money where your mouth is?"  
"Are you suggesting that you think you can beat me?"

"Scared, Potter?"

"You wish."

The pair locked eyes in challenge until the two boys whooped in excitement. "Alright! Let's go set everything up!" Scorpius urged excitedly.

"I'll go find Mr. Potter some gear, and we can meet the two of you out back," Draco responded.

The boys ran outside to go get everything ready as Draco led Potter up the stairs to one of the spare bedrooms where he kept most of his Quidditch gear. "I apologize, Potter, I don't have any horrible red robes for you, not used to having Gryffindors in my house," he flashed him a smile to reinforce that though his words echoed those of the past, they were merely spoken in gest.

"I suppose I can suck it up and wear some Slytherin green. The Sorting Hat did say I would have done well in your House."

Draco gave him a mock affronted look. "You? In Slytherin? I must write a letter to the Headmistress inquiring about the competency of that old Hat."

Potter laughed heartily. "Just give me some gear, oh Slytherin Prince."

Draco sniffed haughtily, "I'll have you know I was the King of Slytherin, thank you very much." He barely made it through before dissolving into snickers.

Potter snorted with laughter. "How silly of me. My deepest apologies, Your Highness."

Draco threw a pair of emerald green Quidditch robes at the other man who caught them gracefully. As Draco began to put on his own pair of raven black robes with a silver trim, he glanced over at Potter, who was currently unbuttoning his shirt. Potter saw him looking and cleared his throat self-consciously, "Not really a good shirt for playing Quidditch in."

Draco simply nodded and continued to put on his gear, continuing to watch Potter out of the corner of his eye. The other man peeled off his button down shirt, revealing a simple, tight grey t-shirt underneath. He folded up his shirt and bent over to lay it on the ground, revealing a thin strip of tanned skin on his back that Draco couldn't help but stare at. He shook himself and pulled his eyes away. He could not let Potter catch him staring at his arse; he may get the wrong idea about Draco's intentions. Intentions that were becoming a bit confusing for Draco.

After the two men had all of their gear on, they headed outside to meet their sons. The two were holding brooms for their fathers and were bantering back and forth about who would win. Scorpius was holding the Snitch. "You're gonna kick Mr. Malfoy's arse, right Dad?"

Harry gave his son a sharp look. "Language, but yes I intend to."

"We will see about that. Malfoys are like a fine wine; they only improve with age."

Harry snorted and reached for his broom. "We shall see about that."

"Alright, are you both ready?" Scorpius asked. The two men nodded. Draco reached his hand out for Potter to shake. The two shook and turned to the birthday boy. "Alright, gentlemen. 3...2...1." And with that he released the Snitch and the two Seekers took off after it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! Keep telling me your thoughts!

 **Chapter 11**

The pair circled the makeshift pitch a couple times looking for the elusive Snitch. Harry made sure to keep an eye on Draco as he circled. He had no doubt in his ability to catch the Snitch before Draco, but he did have some doubts about his ability to spot it. Harry's eyes weren't what they used to be, even with his glasses.

"Like what you see, Potter?" Draco asked with a smirk, as the pair passed each other in the air.

"You wish, Malfoy. Just an old man not trusting his eyes, nothing more," Harry called back.

"Whatever you say, Potter," Draco responded, an odd look crossing his face. Harry couldn't quite interpret the look, but it almost seemed like a flash of disappointment. Probably just a trick of the light or Harry's eyes were getting worse than he thought. Because disappointment would imply that Draco wanted Harry to be checking him out, and that was just absurd. For one, that would mean that the other man was gay, and more puzzling still, would mean that he was attracted to Harry. Which was just ridiculous. Although, a small voice in the back of Harry's head piped up, weren't there whispers that Draco's sexuality was what led to his divorce from his wife? But even so, he would never be attracted to Harry. Objectively speaking, the other man was gorgeous with his pale, pointed features that he more than grew into and his chiseled physique. Even if he was interested in men, he wouldn't be interested in Harry. A commotion from the ground snapped the dark-haired man out of his thoughts, for which Harry was grateful. What the bloody hell had gotten into him? He was supposed to be playing Quidditch, not analyzing Draco Malfoy's sexuality.

Speaking of Quidditch, Harry realized that the commotion was caused by the fact that Draco was rapidly approaching the Snitch. Luckily for Harry, his reflexes were faster than his conscious mind. He had taken off after the other man without even realizing it, but as he approached, he had a sinking feeling that for the first time in their lives Draco Malfoy was going to beat Harry Potter to the Golden Snitch.

Approximately 2 seconds later, Harry was proven correct as Draco's hand closed around the Snitch, and he let out a whoop of joy. The two men landed in the midst of their cheering children. "Daaaad, how could you let him win?!"

"Well, it is Scorpius's birthday. I thought he'd like to see his dad win."

"Don't even start with me, Potter. I won fair and square. You were too busy daydreaming," Draco retorted.

Harry raised his hands in defeat. "You caught me. You're right; you won fair and square, and it only took you over 20 years to do it. Congrats, Draco," he replied with a chuckle, as he reached out his hand to shake the victor's.

Draco looked down at the other man's hand skeptically, before chuckling along with Harry and shaking his hand. Harry felt an odd sensation, almost like a shock run up his arm at the contact. He stared down at his hand, not wanting to fully contemplate what that could mean. He shook himself out of his thoughts quickly. "How about a rematch? Maybe the boys would like to join in."

And with that Harry, Draco, and their sons spent the rest of the afternoon playing variations of Quidditch until it was so dark they could no longer see the balls. "I think it might be time for dinner, what do you think boys?" Draco called out after they dropped the Quaffle for approximately the 10th time in a row.

Everyone murmured in agreement and landed. The boys put away the Quidditch supplies while Harry and Draco prepared dinner. "How about some of that firewhisky you offered earlier?" Harry asked as he set the table.

"Finally late enough in the day for you, huh Potter?" Draco responded with a smirk.

"I think getting my arse kicked in Quidditch by Draco Malfoy of all people warrants a drink of two."

Draco snorted in laughter. "I can drink to that!" And with that he poured two glasses of his finest firewhisky.

"Cheers to you, Malfoy. I guess you did age well after all."

"Ha ha," Draco responded dryly but clinked his glass with Harry's nonetheless, smiling at the other man. Harry smiled back and downed the entire glass. "Whoa there, Potter. Drowning your sorrows?"

Harry just smirked and poured himself another glass. He opened his mouth to respond, but he was cut off by the arrival of the boys and dinner was served.

After dinner and another hearty slice of cake each, Harry turned to his son. "You think it's about time we headed home?" he asked his son, voice tinged with regret.

"Aw, Dad, do we have to?" Albus whined.

Draco cleared his throat quietly. "You're both welcome to stay the night, but I

understand if you have to get home."

"Please, can I stay, Dad?" Albus asked, pouting.

"Please, Mr. Potter," Scorpius added.

"Well, alright. I guess that would be okay," Harry responded, ruffling his son's hair affectionately.

"Brillant! Thanks, Dad! Are you going to stay too?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't think your mum would appreciate that very much."

"Well, at least stay for one more drink," Draco suggested.

Harry hesitated. He was sure that Ginny wasn't going to be happy with him for being gone so long, and she definitely wouldn't appreciate him coming home drunk. But somehow, he couldn't quite bring himself to care. "Yeah, I guess I could stay for one more drink."

Draco smiled and began cleaning up the remnants of dinner as the boys headed back upstairs. Draco grabbed the bottle of firewhisky that they had been drinking and led Harry to the study. Harry flopped down on the sofa and held out his empty glass to Draco with a goofy smile on his face. "Another round, bartender."

Draco hid his amusement behind a cough. "Why, Mr. Potter, if I didn't know better I'd say you're drunk."

Harry laughed in response. "Why, Mr. Malfoy, I do believe I am. The bigger issue here is that you are not."

It was Draco's turn to laugh. "Well I think that is easily remedied. A Malfoy must always strive to please his guest." To illustrate this point, he quickly drained his glass before pouring each of them a large glass of the amber liquid.

The next hour passed similarly, the pair chatting amicably mixed with some good-natured teasing. By this point, Harry was undeniably very drunk and wanted nothing more than to take Draco up on his offer to spend the night. He knew if he did he would only regret it in the morning when he had to deal with his irate wife. Harry was about to tell Draco just that when the telltale sound of a Floo springing to life reached the study.

"Who the bloody hell could that be?" Draco mumbled to himself.

A moment later there was a yell from the front room. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, get your arse in here right this minute!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews!

 **Chapter 12**

Draco's heart sank at the sound of Astoria's voice coming from his front room. What the hell was she doing here? "Who is that?" Harry whispered.

Draco turned to the other man and rolled his eyes. "My ex-wife. In the study, Astoria," he called back.

A minute later, Astoria Greengrass appeared at the door of the study, impeccably dressed as always but looking more than a little intoxicated. "To what do we owe this honor?" Draco asked sarcastically.

"Can't a mother come see her son on his birthday?"

Draco didn't respond, he simply raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"Alright fine. Pierre and I got into a bit of an argument, and I thought maybe I could stay here tonight," she responded with her signature pout.

Draco sighed. "Oh, Astoria, really? If you must you can stay, but just for tonight. Then you can go make-up with Pierre or stay with your sister."  
"Of course, darling. I really do appreciate it. I'll just go up-" Astoria turned to go upstairs to one of the guest bedrooms when she stopped in her tracks. She let out a loud, angry laugh. "You have got to be fucking kidding me. Harry bloody Potter. How'd you pull that one off, Draco? And without it being all over _The Prophet._ Bravo."

"Astoria, stop. His son is Scorpius's best friend."

Harry sat frozen on the couch taking in the scene around him. He wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he had a feeling this night was about to go downhill quickly.

"Did you tell him all about how you cheated on your wife with lookalikes for years? Did that just sweep you right off your feet, Potter? What will your wife say when I tell her you're fucking your childhood nemesis?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Harry sputtered.

"Oh, Potter, don't kid yourself. I know that Draco's been in love you for years. There's no need to hide it."  
"Astoria, seriously, stop!"

Harry stared at Draco, jaw slack and face pale. "What is she talking about?" he asked, voice shaking.

Draco opened and closed his mouth multiple times, simply praying that some explanation would come to him. When that didn't work, he closed his eyes and Apparated up to his room, locking the door with the strongest spells he could think of. Then he did something he hadn't done for many, many years. He fell onto his bed and burst into tears.

The next morning Draco woke up to a knocking on his door. "Dad, are you okay?" Scorpius called.

Draco groaned and pulled himself out of bed. His head was throbbing, and his face felt puffy. All he wanted was to drink an entire bottle of firewhisky and go back to bed. Instead he did the responsible, fatherly thing, and let his son in. "Hey, Scor."

"Are you okay?" his son asked in concern.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well one, you look awful. Two, it's 2 pm, and you're just now getting out of bed. And three, I know that mom was here last night because Albus and I heard her yelling. What's going on?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, son. Your mother and I had just had a little too much to drink, that's all." He pulled his son into a hug. "Is it really 2pm?"

Scorpius snorted. "Yes, Dad. You're worse than me…your teenaged son."

Draco laughed. "You have a point. That would explain why I'm so hungry though. Is Albus still here?"

"No, he left a couple hours ago. Mom's not here either, in case you were wondering."

Draco smiled at his son and sighed in relief. "What do you say I get myself cleaned up, and we go out for a late lunch in Diagon Alley and then get some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's?" he suggested.

"Isn't it a little cold for ice cream?" his son replied skeptically.

"Never! And I thought you were my son!"

"Sounds perfect, Dad. As long as you take a shower first. You really do look terrible."

"Ha. Ha," Draco replied sarcastically. "But you're probably right. I'll make it quick."

Draco showered and dressed as quickly as possible, doing everything in his power not to think about the night before. He was determined to keep himself busy for as long as possible so he wouldn't have to think about it. He'd already contemplated Obliviating himself multiple times, but luckily the fate of Gilderoy Lockhart changed his mind quickly. He knew he shouldn't let it affect him so much. He and Potter had been enemies for years up until recently, it should be easy to go back to that, right? And yet somehow the thought of never sitting around, laughing, and drinking firewhisky with Harry Potter again was enough to cause a burning sensation in his eyes. Shaking his head to clear his maudlin thoughts, he collected his son for a fun-filled, carefree afternoon together.

Lunch went just has Draco had hoped it would: a pleasant afternoon with his son to take his mind off of the events of the previous night. They currently sat in the ice cream parlor that had been reopened by relatives of the original owner after the war ended. The pair was contentedly eating their ice cream when Scorpius cleared his throat cautiously. "Hey, Dad, can I ask you something?"

Draco paused, almost afraid of what was about to come out of his son's mouth. "Anything," he replied, not quite meaning it.

"You and Mr. Potter…" he trailed off and Draco felt his face go even paler than usual. "Are you, well, are you dating?"

"Of course not. The Potters are happily married," Draco replied, purposefully not asking what had brought on that question.

"I'm not sure that's true, but okay. You know, if you were, you could tell me right?"

Draco was annoyed to note that his heart did an odd flip at his son's words. "Absolutely, but I'm not currently dating anyone. What a silly question."

"Is it really that far-fetched?" Draco stared blankly at Scorpius. "I mean, you get along really well, and last night after you both had some firewhisky it was almost as if you were flirting a little. And then of course there was the fact that Mr. Potter lost the Seeker's match because he was too busy staring at you. Albus also told me that his parents haven't really been getting along recently. They're trying to hide it, but he can tell. And then we may have overheard what mom said…"

Draco wasn't quite sure where to begin with his son. His brain was clearly malfunctioning because the first thing out of his mouth was, "He lost because he was staring at me?"

Scorpius burst out laughing. "Oh, Dad, you have it bad."

"I do not!" Draco protested. "Although, this is probably a good time to inform you that your mother and I divorced because I realized I was gay."

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Obviously!"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, c'mon. Do you really think I didn't know? I notice things, Dad, like your affinity for staring at men in their dress robes at all the fancy parties you dragged me to as a child."

"Scorpius, my little Ravenclaw," Draco responded with a chuckle. All this time, he had dreaded telling his son about his sexuality, and he had known the whole damn time. "What do you say we head home?"

"I know this is your attempt to change the subject, but don't worry. We can continue once we're home."

Now it was Draco's turn to roll his eyes. "Alright, alright. Grab my arm."

And with that the pair Apparated to the Manor. "If we're going to continue this conversation, I'm going to need a glass of firewhisky."

"Can I have some too?" Scorpius asked, giving his father an innocent look.

Draco sighed. "I'm too worn out to argue. One glass, and I'll warn you, you're not gonna like it."

"Sure, Dad."

Draco grinned to himself, remembering the first time he had tried the strong drink. Scorpius raised the glass to his mouth and took a large gulp. Which immediately came spewing back out of his mouth. "Ugh! That is vile!" he exclaimed.

Draco doubled over in laughter. "You can't say I didn't warn you, but your reaction was priceless."

Scorpius glared at his father for a couple seconds before dissolving into giggles as well. As the pair were recovering, the sound of the Floo roaring to life reached the study. "Now what?" Draco grumbled. "Let's go see who it is."

When the pair reached the front hall, they were greeted by the sight of a sheepish Harry Potter. "Can we talk?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Sorry for the cliffhanger ;) but thanks for all the favorites, follows, and reviews! A bit longer than usual...let me know what you think!

 **Chapter 13**

Harry found himself, once again, drunk, sitting in stunned silence after watching Draco Malfoy Apparate away from him, wondering what the hell had just happened. He wasn't sure what to make out of all of it, but he did know that he was far too drunk to deal with it. He needed to get home and sleep it off. Everything would make more sense in the morning. Harry stood up to leave and realized that Astoria was still in the room smirking at him.

"Excuse me," he said politely as he moved towards the door. "I really should be getting home."

When he arrived at home, he thanked his lucky stars that the house was quiet and dark. Ginny was already in bed. He climbed in next to her as quietly as possible to avoid waking her, and blissfully fell into a deep sleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Harry was rudely awaken the next morning by his wife's loud questioning, "So are you just going to stay in bed all day? Stay up too late drinking with your new best friend _Draco_?" Harry groaned at being awoken and all the memories of the night before came rushing back. "Also I assume my son is still with his friend, or were you so pissed you lost him?"

"He was invited to spend the night with Scorpius. I didn't think you would want to be woken up just to tell you this," Harry replied grumpily. He was not happy about being woken up from his slumber.

"Or you didn't want me to know what time you finally stumbled into bed."

Harry sighed in frustration, but he decided not to answer. It would just lead to more fighting, and he was sick of fighting. Not to mention he had a bit of a headache and a lot to process. He just didn't want to deal with his wife.

"Regardless of your reasons, it is almost 11 o'clock. It is time for you to get your arse out of bed."

"Yeah, alright. I didn't realize it was this late. I'm sorry."

Ginny tutted in disapproval and headed towards the door. "I'll start lunch. Why don't you take a shower before you join your children?" she added over her shoulder, before shutting the door to their bedroom a little harder than necessary.

Harry flopped back onto the bed with a sigh. He just wanted to sleep all day. He definitely didn't want to spend the day with his annoyed wife. He also didn't want to start to process the puzzling events of the night before. So instead, he decided he would take a scalding shower to distract himself.

Albus returned shortly before the family gathered for lunch and then directly after lunch headed up to his room to take a nap. For that, Harry was grateful. He loved his son dearly, but he had no idea how much he may have overheard the night before and he really wasn't overly eager to find out. Harry had to have time to process everything himself before he even attempted to talk about it with his son.

While Albus napped, Lily and Ginny went out shopping, and James decided to tackle some of his homework, leaving Harry alone with his thoughts. As he tried to replay the whole conversation from the night before, he found himself getting stuck on one part in particular. "I know that Draco's been in love you with for years." She must have been lying, right? She couldn't seriously believe that Draco Malfoy was in love with him. They had been married up until pretty recently. But, if it wasn't true, why did Draco Apparate away from the situation, again? Wouldn't he have just denied it? None of this made any sense.

More importantly, Harry shouldn't care. It shouldn't matter to him at all who Draco Malfoy is in love with, but he couldn't stop replaying Astoria's words over and over. Somewhere along the way, his thoughts became a blur of Astoria's words from the night before, and Ginny's words from months prior. "Honestly, I thought this silly obsession of yours had ended ages ago." As the two phrases played on a continuous loop, Harry realized he was even more confused than he had been last night. On top of that he was developing an awful headache. Running a hand through his hair, he went in search of a headache potion. He found some in a cabinet in the kitchen that just happened to have some of their alcohol stored as well. "Fuck it," he mumbled to himself as he swallowed the recommended dose of the potion and washed it down with a large gulp of firewhisky. "What the bloody hell am I gonna do?"

After several hours of brooding and pouring over Astoria's words in confusion, Harry came to the only logical conclusion. He had to go talk to Draco. He knew there was a good chance that Draco would refuse to speak with him, but he at least had to try. "I'm going to go see Ron," Harry called out to whoever was in earshot, and then without waiting for a response, stepped into the fireplace and Flooed to Malfoy Manor.

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace and tried to compose himself before Draco made an appearance. His assumption was that Draco was sitting in the study, sipping on a glass of firewhisky. A moment later, Harry's assumptions were proven correct when Draco stepped into the front room with a glass in his hand, Scorpius in tow. Harry gave him a sheepish look and quietly asked, "Can we talk?"

There was a long pause as Draco simply stared at him, clearly shocked that he had stepped out of the fireplace. Scorpius gave his father a slight nudge and quietly excused himself. Draco continued to silently stare at him, and Harry was afraid if he tried to say anything else he would scare him away. After several minutes of this, Draco drained the remaining contents of his glass and nodded curtly. "We can go to the study," he suggested so quietly, Harry almost wasn't sure he had actually said anything at all. Nonetheless, Harry followed Draco as he made his way to the study. He immediately refilled his glass to the brim and did the same to a second glass, handing it to Harry. "Can't hurt," Draco said with a shrug.

Harry nodded in agreement. He really wasn't sure where to begin so instead the pair sat side-by-side on the sofa, sipping their firewhisky. The minutes ticked by, and the atmosphere only became more and more tense. Finally, Harry couldn't take it anymore so he cleared his throat softly and just dove right in. "About last night…"

Draco turned to look at him, his expression unreadable. "I apologize for leaving you with Astoria. She can be quite a handful, I hope she didn't cause you too much trouble."

"No, it's alright. I guess I just wanted to know why you left?" Harry asked, somewhat tentatively, taking a big gulp of firewhisky.

Draco averted his eyes and stared down at his glass, before emptying the rest of the contents. "Let me just get a refill, and I'll explain everything."

Harry nodded in agreement, draining his glass as well and handing it to Draco. After the pair had full drinks, Draco settled into the armchair across from Harry. "Before I begin, I just want to ask that you hear me out. I have really enjoyed the last couple of times we've spent time together. I'm sure when I'm done, you'll never speak to me again, but I just wanted you to know that you've surprised me, Potter. I never thought the two of us could ever be anything resembling friends, but I was wrong."

Harry gave him a half-smile and responded, "Get on with it, Malfoy, you're freaking me out." He chuckled to show he was kidding.

Draco grinned back before turning serious once again. And then the whole story of his affairs and subsequent divorce from Astoria poured out of his mouth. "She accused me of being in love with you, which is why when you mentioned what Ginny said that night at the Leaky Caldron, I freaked out and left. I didn't know what to say or do, and so I panicked. And then last night when Astoria told you, it was the same thing. I wasn't sure how to explain everything without completely scaring you off, and I just didn't know what to do. It's so unlike a Malfoy to-"

"Draco," Harry said firmly. "You're rambling."

Draco cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Right, sorry about that."

And then silence reigned once again as the pair continued to sip on their drinks. Harry knew he shouldn't go there, but he just couldn't stop himself. "So are you?" he asked quietly.

Draco felt his heart begin to pound in his chest. "Am I what?"

Harry swirled the liquid in his glass, drained it, and then looked up to meet Draco's eyes. "In love with me."

Harry could tell that Draco wanted nothing more than to look away from his companion, but he found himself entangled in the other man's intense gaze. He saw his eyes dart to the door, probably seriously considered Apparating away once again. Instead he took a deep breath and responded in a whisper, "I don't know."

Harry really wasn't sure how to respond to that, but he had a feeling if he was quiet for long enough Draco would expand on this statement. Draco lifted his glass to his lips and looked dismayed to find it empty. "Do you need a refill?" Harry asked. Draco was getting paler by the minute, and he didn't look up to walking across the room to get one for himself. Draco nodded mutely.

Harry busied himself refilling both of their drinks. "When Astoria first made the accusation, I thought she was insane. I saw her point about the men I had been with, but I brushed it off as a coincidence. I couldn't let it go though, I thought about her words all the time, and the more I thought about it, the more it almost made sense." At this point, Harry handed him back his drink and he took a large gulp. "I don't know what I'm saying anymore."

Harry bit his lip, contemplating whether he should disclose his thoughts. Fueled by a couple glasses of firewhisky and Draco's honest he responded, "When Ginny accused me of being obsessed with you, I thought she was insane too. But once the seed was planted, I couldn't help but, well, obsess over it." Harry chuckled a bit to himself. "I lost that Seeker's match because I was distracted by you."

Draco was silent, taking everything in. "I'm going to confess something because I've had quite a lot to drink at this point. And if you want to run away afterwards, I understand."

Harry laughed, "I think that's more your style."

Draco gave him a small smile. "I suppose you're right." He took another deep breath and sip of his drink. "I think, over the last couple of months, that I may have developed feelings for you. Or maybe more accurately, realized feelings that have been there a long time, maybe even back to our Hogwarts days." With that, Draco leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Harry didn't say anything for a long time, and then without really thinking about what he was doing, he stood up and crossed the room. Draco's eyes were still closed, which only made it easier for Harry. And before he could completely, consciously register what was happening, his lips were on Draco's. It was a quick kiss, but an amazing one nonetheless. As Harry pulled away he felt his lips tingling where Draco's had touched, and his whole body hummed with pleasure. He stared at the man in front of him, as his brain caught up with what had just happened. Not only had he cheated on his wife, but he had cheated on her with a man. Draco Malfoy of all men. Oh, Merlin, what had he done? He felt his eyes widen in shock as he backed away from the other man. Neither of them knew what to say.

Eventually, as Harry sat back down on the sofa, head resting in his hands, Draco broke the silence. "Wh-what what was that?"

Harry lifted his head slowly, "I'm not really sure," he responded, clearly shaken by what had just happened.

Draco opened his mouth to respond, and then shut it. And then opened it once again, "I...I think I liked it."

"So did I," Harry whispered, just barely audible. "But I'm married, and I'm straight...aren't I?" At this point he was mostly talking to himself. He was so confused, but also pretty drunk. Ginny's face kept flitting in and out of his mind, sometimes smiling and sometimes looking murderous as she did so often these days.

"This may be the firewhisky talking, but there's really only one way to find out…" Draco responded, more seductively than he meant to, as he crossed the room.

Harry looked up at his former nemesis and made a split second decision. Who was he kidding? His marriage was over, and if that one peck could make him feel the way it had, he could only imagine how amazing more would be. "Oh, fuck it," he muttered to himself, before laying down on the couch and pulling Draco slowly down on top of him. The moment their lips touched for the second time, all of Harry's conflicted thoughts quieted, and he surrendered himself to the pleasure.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **Chapter 14**

Draco woke up the next morning happier than he had been in a very long time. He smiled to himself as he replayed the events of last night. Nothing further than kissing happened, but Draco had to admit that Potter's kisses were addictive. After making out on the couch for awhile like a couple of horny teenagers, Draco had transfigured the couch into a larger one so that they could lay side by side and continue to talk. He tried to remember the end of the night but couldn't quite figure out how they had said goodbye. Had he really been that drunk that he had blacked out? It was at this point that Draco realized that he was still in the study. He sat bolt upright and looked around. There, on the cushion turned pillow next to him, was the raven rat's nest that was Harry Potter's hair. "Potter," he hissed urgently, nudging him forcefully.

Potter turned to look at Draco sleepily. "Seriously? You give me the best kiss of my life, and you still can't use my first name?" he asked with a chuckle.

Draco felt himself blush. "Best kiss of your life, huh?" he asked playfully, arching one eyebrow. And then he remembered why he had woken the other man up in the first place. "Potter- ugh- Harry, this is not the time! We fell asleep! You've inadvertently spent the night."

It was Harry's turn to sit upright. "Oh, fuck. Ginny's gonna murder me."

Draco felt his heart sink. Right, Ginny aka Potter's wife. Of course it was too good to be true. Draco reprimanded himself for even getting excited about what had happened. He knew Potter was married, and he knew they would never actually be together. He would just have to get used to living with the memory of a perfect kiss and recognizing that that's all it would ever be. "I should get going," Harry said, snapping Draco out of his thoughts.

Draco could hear the disappointment in the other man's voice, but he couldn't allow himself to acknowledge it. It would hurt too much if he thought there was a chance, no matter how small. "Yeah, we wouldn't want Scorpius to catch us," Draco replied, trying to keep his voice as even as possible. In reality, he felt like he could fall apart at any moment. What was it about Potter that turned him into a big baby?

"Right, well, I'll see you around, Draco," Harry responded with a small wave.

Draco nodded in response and led him to the front hall fireplace. "See you around," he whispered.

He turned to go up to his room to go back to bed so he wouldn't have to deal with his feelings right now when Potter stopped him. "Draco, wait. Can we talk about this? Not right now, but maybe tomorrow night? We could meet up at the Leaky Cauldron for a pint or 2?" Harry suggested, pleading him with his eyes.

Draco was frozen, weighing the possibilities. On the one hand, Draco really didn't want to be tortured by his feelings by spending time with the married man he was beginning to realize he had strong feelings for, but on the other hand, he really couldn't imagine not being able to go to the pub with the other man. They may not have been on friendly terms for long, but in that short time they had grown close. Draco realized that Harry was still staring at him, his eyes getting sadder by the second. "Sure. The Leaky Cauldron sounds good. How about 7 o'clock?" he answered with a small smile, enjoying the way that Potter's eyes lit up.

"Perfect. I can't wait," Harry responded. Just before he turned to go home, he gave Draco a quick kiss, cupping his cheek gently. "Tomorrow."

And with that, Harry stepped into the fireplace and was gone in a burst of flames. Draco brought his hand up to touch his cheek where Harry's hand had been just a moment earlier and smiled to himself. He was about to make his way to his bedroom when he saw his son standing halfway up the staircase, smirking at him. No one could ever say that Scorpius wasn't his son. "Busted!" he exclaimed gleefully.

Draco sighed and gave his son a stern look. Or at least he tried, but he was too giddy from his encounter with Harry to really be stern. He would have to speak to Potter about doing this to him. Malfoys are not supposed to be giddy. "It's not what you think," he defended. Scorpius simply raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Alright, alright. Please don't tell Albus. I have no idea what this means."

"But you're talking about it tomorrow," Scorpius responded, also sounding a little giddy. "But I won't say a word."

Draco glared at his son in gest. "Hasn't anyone ever told you it's rude to eavesdrop?"

Scorpius laughed gave his father innocent eyes. "I'm a child of divorce, what can I say? No one to teach me manners. My dad is too busy making out with his childhood rival all night long to guide me down the correct path."

Draco rolled his eyes and sent a throw pillow from the loveseat in the front hall flying at his son's face. "Ha. Ha. You are hilarious," Draco answered wryly.

Scorpius grinned at his father. "So when are you going to tell me all of the details?"

"Who are you and what have you done with my son? Aren't you supposed to be disgusted at any mention of your father's dating life?"

Scorpius shrugged. "Probably, but I can't help it. I'm happy for you, Dad. I know you've been lonely since mom left. If you're going to start dating again, my best friend's dad seems like a pretty good choice to me."

"Mr. Potter and I aren't dating."

"Yet," Scorpius said, beaming.

"Well at least one of us is confident," Draco responded with a chuckle.

"It may take awhile, but I think it'll happen. And when it does, I'll support you the whole way."

"Thanks, son. I appreciate that." He closed the gap between the two and gave Scorpius a hug. "What am I gonna do when you go back to school?"

"I'm sure Mr. Potter would have some ideas," Scorpius responded with a wicked giggle, breaking the embrace. He started up the stairs. "You're probably tired though, long night and all. You should take a nap, and then we can hang out." And with that he rounded the corner to avoid the rest of the pillows his father sent after him.

Draco woke up from a short nap feeling happy and refreshed. He was trying to keep his expectations in check, but it was difficult. The fact that Potter wanted to get together tomorrow was a good sign right? If he was just going to tell Draco that he was married, and they couldn't hang out anymore he would've just said it this morning, right? And Scorpius seemed pretty confident that things would work out, but what did he know? He was just a kid. Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed. There was no use contemplating this now. He would find out soon enough how things would turn out. Instead, he was going to spend the last couple days of his son's holiday break with Scorpius, enjoying his company.

"Scorpius," he called down the hall where his son's bedroom was.

"In my room," Scorpius called back.

When Draco entered his son's room, he found Scorpius laying on his bed reading what appeared to be a textbook. "Doing some homework?"

Scorpius set down his book, pulling a face. "Yeah, I figured I should start since I only have a few more days."

"How about we go do something fun instead? We can call it a reward for being so responsible."

Scorpius smirked at this father, "Or you just don't want to sit around and daydream about Mr. Potter."

Draco just shook his head with a chuckle. "I will not dignify that with a response."

Scorpius smiled. "Sure, Dad, let's go do something fun."

And with that the pair went their separate ways to change before spending the day just enjoying each other's company. Draco really would miss his son when he had to go back to school, and he could only hope he would have someone to help fill the void.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer** : The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N** : Sorry about the longer than usual wait for this chapter; I've been out of town. Let me know what you think of this chapter. I incorporated a plot bunny that wouldn't leave me alone instead of writing a whole different story and take my time away from this one!

 **Chapter 15**

When Harry arrived at home, all he wanted was some time to process everything that had happened the night before. He knew this was just a pipe dream, and he was proven correct the moment he stepped through the Floo.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER, WHERE THE BLOODY HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" Ginny shrieked from the kitchen. She appeared in the living room a moment later, eyes blazing and mouth set in a firm line. "And don't even try to tell me you were at Ron and Hermione's, I've already talked with them."

Harry's heart sank at her words. He had no idea what to tell her so he simply stared at her in silence. This only served to infuriate Ginny further. She went from yelling to hissing dangerously, "Who is she, Harry?"

At this, Harry snapped out of his stupor. "What are you talking about, Ginny?" he asked as calmly as possible. In reality, his pulse was racing, as were his thoughts. Her accusation was just too close to the truth for comfort.

"Who. Is. She. Harry?" she asked slowly, a dangerous hint to her voice, almost like a challenge. "Who is the bitch you slept with last night? The slag who was just so good you couldn't leave her to come back to your _wife_?"

Harry had never seen Ginny like this before, and he hoped to never see it again. He may have defeated Voldemort multiple times, but that didn't make the tiny redhead in front of him any less terrifying. "Oh, Gin," he said gently. "You know that's not what happened."

Ginny glared at him. "Do I? Then where the bloody fuck were you?"

Harry gulped. He figured that the best approach would be to tell the truth...or at least most of the truth. "Two nights ago, while Albus and I were at the Malfoys, Draco's ex-wife showed up, caused a bit of a scene." Ginny sniffed derisively at the mention of Draco, but she didn't comment. "I decided to go over and just make sure he was doing alright. We ended up having a couple of drinks, or more than a couple, and I got totally pissed. I passed out on the couch and came home as soon as I woke up." It was close enough to the truth that Harry felt himself relax the tiniest bit.

Ginny looked like she was torn between being relieved and getting even more mad that Draco was involved. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I will never understand your obsession with him, Harry, but at least I know you're not cheating with the bloody ferret." She gave him one last suspicious look, as if she didn't quite believe his story but didn't have any reason to argue anymore, before going back to the kitchen.

Harry collapsed on the couch in relief. He really didn't want to have to talk to anyone about what had happened the night before, particularly not his wife. He knew that he would have to come clean eventually, but he had to figure out exactly what he was coming clean about first. He sighed and ran his hands through his already messy hair. He had a lot of self-discovery to do in the next couple of days. He wasn't sure where this Draco situation was going, but he knew that he had to find out.

"By the way, you should probably contact Ron and Hermione. They were a bit upset when I said you were missing," Ginny called from the kitchen.

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of his wife's voice. "Alright," he called back, already dreading explaining things to his best friends. Hermione could be too observant for her own good sometimes, but he figured he had no choice but to Firecall them.

"Hello?" he called to his best friends.

"Harry, thank goodness. We were so worried when Ginny called us earlier. Where have you been?" Hermione scolded.

Harry sighed and launched into the same edited version of his night that he had given to Ginny. Hermione looked at him thoughtfully, with a touch of skepticism in her look as he talked. Luckily for Harry, however, there was a crash from somewhere inside the house followed by angry yelling. Hermione sighed. "I don't know what that was, but it can't be good. I need to go check on the kids, but we'll talk more about this later, Harry," she said sternly before softening slightly. "I'm glad to see you're okay though. Talk to you later."

Harry waved in response before exiting the fireplace. Maybe Hermione would forget, and he wouldn't have to go into anymore detail. Hermione probably knew his facial expressions better than anyone. The slightest flash on his face of the giddiness he felt inside could be his undoing. He would have to be very careful.

Harry flopped back on the couch and began to seriously consider what he would say to Draco the next day.

 _Harry was in his own little world, slowly making his way to the Great Hall for dinner. He was at Hogwarts; it was Christmastime. He was contemplating if he should get something more for Ginny for Christmas than he already had before she came back from the Burrow, when he ran into someone. He was about to apologize when he looked up and saw who it was._

" _Watch where you're going, Potter," Malfoy sneered. "Too busy daydreaming about your dead mum to pay attention?"_

 _Harry had planned on letting things go, but not anymore. He whipped around to glare at the pale boy. "Better a dead mum than a filthy, criminal father rotting away in Azkaban, wouldn't you say, Malfoy?" Harry responded with a glare._

 _He saw Malfoy clench his fists but didn't seem to have the intention to swing them. "My father may be in Azkaban, but we both know he won't be there for long. You, on the other hand, will probably marry a girl who looks just like your mum in a sad, pathetic attempt to get her back." Malfoy smirked, and Harry wanted nothing more than to knock the smirk right off his pointy, ferret face._

" _Listen here, Malfoy," Harry spit out as he shoved the other boy against the wall of the hallway. "Leave Ginny out of this."_

 _Malfoy chuckled derisively, although Harry could see the nervous glint in his eyes. "Struck a nerve there, did I, Potter?" And the smirk was back._

 _Harry pushed his nemesis harder against the wall and took a step closer. Harry had one forearm braced across Malfoy's chest, and his other arm was holding the other boy's hands above his head. They were now so close that there was less than an inch between their bodies. "I wouldn't tempt me if I were you, Malfoy."_

" _Oh yeah, and what are you going to do to me?" Malfoy snorted in amusement._

 _Harry could feel his rage starting to bubble over as he closed the remaining distance between them. Harry's body was now completely pinning Malfoy's to the wall. "Well, considering our current positions, it looks like I could do anything I bloody well please."_

 _Harry had gotten too cocky. At that moment, Malfoy rammed his head into Harry's as hard as he could, startling Harry just enough to release his grip a tiny bit. With that Malfoy pushed Harry back. Harry was thrown off balance and fell onto his back, Malfoy landing on top of him. "Cocksucker," Harry growled, trying to push the other boy off._

" _You'd like that, wouldn't you, Potter?" Malfoy responded with that damn smirk on his face again._

 _Harry was confused by his response for a second before realization dawned. And with his realization came a deep blush that set his cheeks on fire. "You wish, ferret face."_

 _Malfoy just continued to smirk, infuriating Harry all the more. Harry squirmed under Malfoy, but the other boy didn't budge. Malfoy simply pressed his body harder into Harry's to keep him down._

 _This continued for several minutes, the two of them fighting for dominance and spitting insults at one another. It wasn't until Harry was once again pinned on his back under Malfoy that he realized he had an erection. Now where the bloody hell did that come from? He mused. Must just be a teenaged boy thing. It certainly had nothing to do with the slimy git on top of him. "Now Potter, I know we were discussing me sucking your cock earlier, but control yourself." That fucking smirk was really getting to Harry by now._

 _Worse than the smirk was the acknowledgement of Harry's predicament, and for the first time since he met his blond-haired nemesis, he was absolutely speechless. And bright, bright red. "Wow, Potter, you really are a Gryffindor. Crimson face and everything."_

 _Harry used all the strength he had left to flip them over one last time. He had every intention of knocking as many of Malfoy's teeth out as possible with his fist. But as he raised his right hand, his eyes locked with Malfoy's. Harry wasn't sure that he had ever really looked at the other boy's eyes so closely before. They were a swirling grey storm of emotions, like the Black Lake during a thunderstorm. One moment Harry was drowning in those turbulent pools of grey, right fist raised to punch his enemy; the next moment his right hand was curved around the back of Malfoy's neck and he was kissing the other boy like his life depended on it. Maybe even more strange than the fact that Harry Potter was kissing Draco Malfoy was the fact that Draco Malfoy was kissing him back. And both boys seemed to be enjoying it._

 _Malfoy moved his hands, that at some point Harry must have released, to run through Harry's hair and down his back. Harry deepened the kiss, running his tongue along Malfoy's bottom lip to request entrance, which Malfoy gave him immediately with a quiet moan. And if that wasn't the most beautiful sound Harry had ever heard. As the kiss became more heated, Malfoy slid his hands under the material of Harry's Gryffindor robes and school shirt. Soon enough the pair found they were wearing too many clothes. Malfoy cast a spell that both removed and folded their clothes neatly. Harry was slightly impressed until he looked back at the other boy and he was wearing that damned smirk again so Harry pulled his lips back to his forcefully. That would wipe the smirk away for sure._

 _As Harry attempted to pull Malfoy closer to him, so that every inch of his skin was touch Malfoy, it caused their erections to brush together. Harry groaned in pleasure. He had never imagined that he would want to touch another man's cock, but suddenly that's all he wanted in the world. To touch it, to stroke it, and if he was feeling particularly adventurous to suck it dry. Harry opened his mouth to express these desires to Malfoy when-_

"Harry, come on! Dinner's ready!"

Harry snapped back into reality, breathing heavily. He must have fallen asleep on the couch. He took a deep breath to try and collect himself after such a graphic dream. As he became more aware of his reality, it became abundantly clear that he could not go have dinner with his children at this very moment. He was achingly hard and all because a dream about Draco Malfoy. As he made his way to the bathroom to splash some cold water on this face and calm himself down, he was struck by the realization that this wasn't the first time he had been in this situation.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **Chapter 16**

Draco stood in his bedroom, contemplating his reflection. His blond hair hung loosely in front of his left eye. His deep blue button up shirt was tailored perfectly to his body, the first two buttons left unbuttoned. The color of his shirt was reflected in his eyes, making them much bluer than usual. A knock on his bedroom door broke him out of his revelry. "Come in," he called softly.

Draco looked up to see Scorpius open the door. "How are you doing, Dad?"

Draco smiled at his son. "I'm fine. Shouldn't you be doing something fun, enjoying your last few days of Christmas holidays?" Scorpius gave his father a skeptical look. "Alright, alright. I'll admit I might be a little nervous."

Scorpius chuckled. "Well you look great, and I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Draco clapped his son on the shoulder. "Thanks. Now I'm going out, not sure when I'll be back. No parties while I'm gone."

"Ha ha, Dad," Scorpius responded sarcastically. "You know me so well."

Draco rolled his eyes at his son. "If I see you at the Leaky Caldron, you're grounded for the rest of your break."

Scorpius just smirked at his father. "Fine, fine. You really do know me."

That elicited a chuckle from Draco before he glanced in the mirror once more. He highly doubted that how his hair looked would have any bearing on how the night played out, but he couldn't help it. He didn't know what to expect from his night out with Harry, and he felt extremely off balance. To counteract this, he was doing his best to keep his expectations of the night low, in case things didn't go as well as he hoped. He ran his hand through his hair and took a few deep breaths. This was just Potter for Merlin's sake. He had no reason to be this worked up.

"Dad," Scorpius broke into his thoughts once again. "You're going to be late."

Draco cast a quick _Tempus_ and swore when he saw his son was right. 6:57. He had three minutes to get to the Leaky Caldron. He had been waiting for this since the moment Harry suggested it yesterday morning, and yet now it felt as if it had all come all too soon. "I'll see you later, Scor."

"Good luck, Dad. It'll go great! And if it doesn't then Mr. Potter will have to answer to me," Scorpius said, waving his wand around in what Draco could only assume was supposed to be a threatening gesture.

Draco simply snorted at his son's ridiculousness. "Sure, you will. One of the most powerful evil wizards of all time couldn't hurt him, but you, the Hogwarts student, are gonna teach him a lesson."

Scorpius just folded his arms defiantly. "I have the element of surprise on my side."

Draco rolled his eyes with a chuckle. "Thanks for the support." He ruffled his son's hair as he made his way to the front hall to Apparate.

A moment later, Draco found himself right outside the Leaky Caldron. If he was being honest with himself, he had meant to Apparate about a block away to have a short walk to calm down further. It was a testament to just how nervous he was about this night. He was lucky he hadn't splinched himself. Taking one last breath, he stepped into the pub. He slowly surveyed the scene in front of him. There were people there, but it wasn't overly crowded. Those sitting at the bar filled up about half of it. There were about 3 or 4 tables filled with groups of friends, one seemed to have a couple who were sitting in the corner to get as much privacy as possible. His eyes were drawn to the opposite side of the pub from the couple. There in the corner booth sat Harry Potter. Draco could only see the other man's profile, but it was enough to make his heartbeat speed up. From the messy black hair all the way down to the faded jeans he wore, Draco took in every detail.

Before he even realized that he was moving, Draco found himself standing in front of the man he had been studying. "Potter," he greeted with a small smile.

Harry had been looking down at the pint of some sort of beer in front of him, but his head snapped up when he heard Draco's voice. When his eyes met the blond man's, his face broke into a genuine smile that made his emerald eyes twinkle with happiness. Draco couldn't help but smile widely back. Harry stood up to give Draco a hug. "Hi," he whispered, almost shyly. "How have you been?"

Draco bit his bottom lip to hold back a chuckle. "Since yesterday morning? I'd say not much has changed, Potter," he drawled with a slight smirk.

He saw the other man's lips twitch slightly in amusement. "What will it take to get you to call me Harry?" he asked.

Draco took a step forward until there was barely room for a wand between the two. "I could be tempted with a kiss," he responded, surprised at his own boldness.

Harry took a step backwards. Draco's face fell in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Draco, but I just can't risk it. Not here, and not while I'm still married."

Draco nodded sadly as he sat down across from Harry. He was relieved to see that Harry had already purchased him what appeared to be a double shot of firewhisky and a pint of butterbeer. "I understand," he said quietly before downing the shot. "Thanks for the drinks."

"Oh those?" Harry asked in mock innocence. "They were here when I sat down. I probably should've warned you not to drink those."

Draco snorted in amusement into his pint glass, the awkwardness of the previous moment fading into the background. "And just when I was considering using your first name, you make me do something as undignified as snort. Malfoys do not snort." He mock glared at his companion.

Harry laughed with a shake of his head. "If it makes you feel any better, I think you're cute when you're being undignified."

Draco felt heat rise to his face. "Well thank you... _Harry_ ," he responded with a grin.

It was Harry's turn to blush. "I think I could get used to that."

Draco wasn't sure how to respond to that so instead he took a large gulp of his beer. He wasn't sure if he wanted to continue to flirt with Harry to avoid a real conversation or put himself out of his misery and hit the issue head on. He was saved from deciding, however, when Harry spoke up, "Why don't I get us another round and then we can talk about the other night?"

Draco nodded. "But here, I've got this round," he said as he handed Harry some money.

Harry simply ignored him before leaving to get the drinks. Draco took a steadying breath. So far things were going well, but he couldn't help but replay the moment that Harry had pulled away from him. Draco knew that he shouldn't be upset. He had done the same to so many men while he was married to Astoria. That's when he realized why it bothered him so much. Despite the fact that he had enjoyed the company of those men, and even had genuine feelings for some of them, he was never going to leave his wife to be with any of them. Was that all Draco was going to be to Harry? Some man to experiment with when he could sneak away from his wife for a couple hours? Draco drained the rest of his pint in an effort to calm himself down. Harry Potter was far too noble to string Draco along like that, wasn't he?

That's when he noticed that Harry was making his way back to the table. He guessed he would find out soon enough. "Draco, are you alright? You look a little pale," he inquired softly.

Draco didn't mean to let his feelings bubble over, but his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own. "I can't be the man you sneak out to see when you can get away from your wife. I can't be this dirty little secret who you refuse to acknowledge in public lest someone tell Ginny. I can't-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Draco, calm down," Harry cut him off in alarm.

Draco stopped, took a deep breath, and a large sip of firewhisky. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say any of that. Bloody firewhisky is already getting to me."

Harry chuckled. "It's okay. That seems to be a theme when we're together doesn't it?" Draco chuckled along with him. "Now is it okay if I talk, or do you have more ranting to do?"

Draco had a strong urge to stick his tongue out at the dark-haired man, but he controlled himself. "Proceed," he said in his most Malfoy voice.

Harry smiled. "In the last few months, it has become more and more apparent that my marriage is falling apart." Draco felt his heart skip a beat. "Ginny and I have plans to discuss the state of our relationship once our kids are back at Hogwarts, and I can already tell it won't be a pleasant conversation. Before anything happened between the two of us, I knew I would have to ask for a divorce. She's not going to be happy about it, but neither of us are happy in this marriage."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Draco said with as much empathy as he could muster.

Harry's lips twitched. "No you're not, and I'm glad. Draco, I may have known Ginny and I were headed towards divorce for a while, but more recently I've learned more than that. Now that I've had a taste of you, Draco Malfoy, I don't intend to give that up just yet." Draco's heart was now beating frantically, as if it was trying to jump out of his chest. "If you're willing to have me, at least. I can't commit to anything until after I at least talk to Ginny about the divorce, but if you're willing to wait, I'd love to give this a shot. I know that probably isn't fair to ask you."

Draco stared at Harry in a stunned silence. Harry Potter wanted to be with him. He just wanted to divorce his wife first. This was the best outcome Draco could have hoped for. "I've waited, what? Over 20 years? I think I can wait a little bit more." His voice sounded odd and strangled even to his own ears, but also happier than he had been in a long time. He smiled at the man in front of him and squeezed his hand briefly. He couldn't wait to see what the next few months had in store for them.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Not sure how I feel about this chapter. I was a little stuck, but next chapter should be better and written faster!

 **Chapter 17**

 _I've waited, what? Over 20 years? I think I can wait a little bit more._ Harry couldn't stop smiling as he lay in bed later that night, replaying the other man's words over and over again. When he had first proposed that Draco wait for him to divorce Ginny, he had been terrified. He couldn't quite explain why it mattered so much to him to explore whatever was going on between them, but he knew that he didn't want to give it up. Harry was oddly calm about this. He would have thought that after his chat with Draco he would have some sort of moment of panic. Not only had he just agreed to date a man, something he had never even considered until the last couple of days, he had decided to date Draco Malfoy of all people, his nemesis from his Hogwarts days.

In some odd way, it all made perfect sense. Harry had spent 6 odd years at Hogwarts following him around and doing anything for his attention. At the time it had seemed to be such obvious hatred. In retrospect, Harry wasn't so sure. He thought back to the day before when he had awoken from a very vivid, very erotic dream that had taken place in their Hogwarts days. As he had attempted to calm himself down, his mind swirled with dreams in the past very similar to the one he had just woken up from. He had dreamed about Draco many times while at Hogwarts, particularly during sixth year, most of the time he was hexing him, but there were definitely times he was kissing him. These dreams had been long forgotten, but Harry couldn't deny that they had happened. At the time, he always woke alarmed but also incredibly aroused. He would immediately push the dreams out of his mind and attempt to fall back to sleep. Inevitably, he would end up wanking while pretending to fantasize about Ginny, but Ginny didn't have piercing grey eyes, short blond hair, or a hard, chiseled, decidedly male chest. His fantasies may have started out as Ginny but by the time he was cumming silently into his hand, the only images of in his head were of Draco. By the time he woke up the next morning, he would convince himself that it had been images of Ginny that did the trick. Talk about repressed sexual desire.

None of that mattered now, however, because once his kids were back at Hogwarts he would have the chance to explore his feelings further. With that lovely thought, Harry slipped into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning Harry woke up feeling well-rested. As he sat up to stretch, he became aware that Ginny was no longer in bed next to him and the sun was streaming in through the blinds much brighter than he expected. Both of these indicated that it was probably later that Harry had intended to sleep once again. With a shrug, he climbed out of bed and slowly padded down the stairs. He stopped when he heard his name from the kitchen.

"Is Harry really still sleeping? It seems odd for him," a voice that sounded like Hermione's commented.

Harry heard Ginny huff. "Yes, well, he was out with _Draco_ , last night. They've been spending a lot of time together, getting piss drunk until all hours of the night," Ginny responded snidely.

It was silent for a moment before Hermione responded, "I think it's great that they've managed to grow up and put their childish hatred behind them."

Ginny snorted derisively and muttered something that Harry couldn't quite catch that sounded something along the lines of, "As long as that's all it is."

This was followed by an indignant response from Hermione, "Ginny! How could you say such a thing?" Harry picked up the tiniest bit of doubt in her voice and hoped sincerely that Ginny didn't detect it. He decided that it was time to make his presence known. He descended the last couple of stairs as loudly as he could.

"Good morning," he called into the kitchen.

The women fell silent before both calling back. "Good morning, Harry!" "About bloody time you crawl out of bed." Three guesses who said which. He smiled at both of them before pouring some coffee into a mug. He may have slept in later than he intended, but he was still tired. He attributed it to all of the drinking and late night bonding he had been doing with Draco as of late.

"We were just talking about New Year's Eve," Hermione informed him with a smile. He knew that she was lying through her teeth, but he played along anyway. She was giving him a suspicious look out of the corner of her eye that was making him nervous.

"Alright I'll bite. What's the plan ladies?" he asked with as much interest as he could muster.

"Well we were thinking we should attend the Ministry ball this year," Hermione said with an innocent smile.

Harry groaned. They both know how much he hated Ministry functions. "Must we?"

"Yes," Ginny snapped in response. "We haven't been to a Ministry party in ages. Besides, the Minister himself requested our presence."

Harry cringed inwardly at the tone of his wife's voice. "You're right, you're right," he appeased. "I'm sure we'll have a lovely time."

Ginny didn't respond, instead she stood up and left the room. Harry just sighed and plopped down into her spot. "Go ahead," he said to Hermione. "Say whatever it is that's been eating away at you." Hermione hesitated for a moment. "Oh c'mon, Mione, we've been friends forever. I can tell when you have something to say."

Hermione smiled at him. "Well, alright. When did you get so observant?" she teased. Harry simply grinned in return and watched his friend relax. "So...Ginny says you've been spending a lot of time with Malfoy."

Harry could feel his cheeks getting hot, despite the fact that he knew this is what she was going to bring up. He squared his jaw and answered somewhat defiantly, "Yes I have."

"No need to get defensive. I'm just making conversation is all."

Harry regarded his companion over the rim of his coffee mug as he took a long sip. "I think you have a point to this."

Hermione sighed. "I'm just worried about you and Ginny is all. It's obvious that the two of you have been having some issues lately, and it just seems like an odd time to suddenly be hanging out with Malfoy."

"I will admit that Ginny and I have hit a bit of a rough patch, but I don't know what that has to do with Draco."

Hermione stared at the table and chewed her bottom lip nervously. "Well nothing really...if it's really Malfoy that you're spending time with."

Harry stared at his friend in shock. He wasn't sure if he should be appalled that she would think he had a secret lover and was using Malfoy as a cover or relieved that she didn't suspect the truth. "Hermione what exactly are you accusing me of?"

Hermione snapped her head up to look at him finally. "Nothing, Harry! I shouldn't have said anything. Of course you wouldn't cheat on Ginny. I'm sorry. I guess we're all just surprised about your new found friendship," she said sheepishly.

Harry nodded and gave her a warm half-smile. "It's okay. I know it's strange, but it turns out that he and I get along really well. We got drinks a couple months ago when Al and Scorpius ended up in the Hospital Wing so I decided to go with Al to the Manor for Scorpius's birthday. Every time we've spent time together we end up getting pissed and bonding. He's changed a lot since Hogwarts."

Hermione nodded and smiled. "I'm glad you're getting along, especially with your boys being so close. I'm proud of you for putting the past behind you. He's not the only one that's changed." Harry chuckled softly. "You know, he'll probably be at the New Year's Eve event at the Ministry. Maybe you can re-introduce us."

The sentiment warmed Harry. He knew the next couple of months wouldn't be easy, but it made him hopeful that Hermione was showing some signs of making an effort to accept Draco in his life. He knew it would be much different if he and Draco were to go public as a couple, but it was a start. And then the panic cut through his warm feelings. Ginny and Draco would be in the same room for an extended period of time. How was Harry supposed to play the doting husband when the person he really wanted to be kissing at midnight was only a few feet away? He was sure he was in for one unforgettable New Year's Eve one way or another.

"Well, I should head back home," Hermione said, cutting into his thoughts. Harry nodded as she collected her things. The two of them walked to the living room so she could Floo home. She went to grab Floo powder but stopped and turned to face Harry instead. "About your rough patch...things have a way of working themselves out," she said, with a gentle squeeze of his arm.

"Thanks, Hermione. I'll see you later." He gave his friend the most convincing smile he could manage. Things would work themselves out, but not in the way that Hermione was implying.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **Chapter 18**

"Daaaaaad, you have to tell me," Scorpius whined, giving his father the best puppy dog face he could manage.

Draco rolled his eyes. "I do not think my dating life is any of your business," he replied, shaking his head at his son.

"So you and Mr. Potter are dating then," Scorpius said with a triumphant smirk.

Draco sighed. "I didn't say that. Scorpius please, when there is something to tell you will be the first person to know. I promise."

"Alright fine. I guess I can live with that," Scorpius said in disappointment. "Since you're going to deprive me of my fun, I think you owe me."

Draco regarded his son in amusement. "And what do I owe you?"

Scorpius gave him his most innocent smile. "I think you should let me go to a New Year's Eve party with Al...attheweasleys."

"I didn't quite catch that last part."

Scorpius sighed. "At the Weasleys."

Draco wrinkled his nose but didn't comment on it. "But what about our tradition?" Ever since Scorpius was little, he and Draco had spent New Year's Eve snuggled in front of the fire playing Exploding Snap and Wizard Chess until the wee hours of the morning. They would eat junk food and drink hot cocoa and overall just have a great time. Even when he and Astoria had been married, this is how they had spent the night. Astoria had always gone out to one party or another, and Draco would always graciously volunteer to babysit Scorpius. In reality, he would rather hang out with his son than mingle with a bunch of drunk people he barely knew.

Scorpius's face fell. "I love our tradition, but I just thought maybe this year we could do something different."

Draco didn't want to admit it, but it stung a little bit. He had to resist the urge to guilt his son into staying home with him. "You're right. I'm sure I can find something to do." He tried his best to smile but had a feeling it wasn't very convincing.

At that, Scorpius's face transformed into a mischievous grin. "About that."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Well, Al mentioned that his dad will be at the Ministry's party. I thought maybe you'd want to go as well."

Draco couldn't stop a small smile from breaking out. He watched as Scorpius noticed it and smirked at him. "Shut up. I suppose I could do worse than the Ministry party."

Scorpius just laughed. "That you could."

On New Year's Eve Draco found himself in a very similar position standing in front of his bedroom mirror, contemplating his reflection. He knew he was being ridiculous, but he just couldn't help himself. There was something about the thought of seeing Harry that made him question every wardrobe choice. It also made his stomach flutter with anticipation. Bloody hell, it was like being a teenager all over again.

"Dad, I'm going to head to the Weasley's in a minute," Scorpius called from the other side of the door.

Draco opened it and smiled at his son. "It's not too late to stay home and play games with me."

Scorpius laughed and shook his head. "I think it is, based on the way you've been pacing around the house all day. I wouldn't want to keep you from your crush."

Draco grimaced. "Grown men do not have crushes."

Scorpius snorted. "Sure, Dad, whatever you say. I'm sure you'll have a great time. And you look great."

Draco looked down at the robes he had chosen. They were a deep, emerald green lined in a deeper green velvet material. They were tailored well to his body type and had always been some of his favorites. They also happened to be almost the exact shade of Harry's eyes. But that certainly didn't have anything to do with why he was wearing them. "Thanks, son. You don't look so bad yourself. Any ladies you're trying to impress at this gathering? Or a gentleman perhaps?"

Scorpius's lips twitched, but he didn't respond. "Maybe when you tell me about your dating life, I'll tell you about mine." And with that, he scampered down the stairs and to the Floo.

Draco simply laughed and shook his head at his son. He glanced at himself one last time before following the path his son had just taken to head to the Ministry.

By the time that Draco arrived at the Ministry, the party was in full swing. He looked around taking in the sights. He spotted some familiar faces in the crowd, but for the most part it was a lot of people he didn't know. He also didn't spot the one face that he most wanted to spot. He sighed and made his way to the bar. He could have fun without Harry bloody Potter. He ordered a glass of Ogden's Old on the rocks and went to mingle with the crowd. Almost immediately, he ran into an old colleague and began to exchange pleasantries. This led to speaking with another business associate and an old family friend, and then before Draco knew it he had been there for nearly an hour and had consumed at least 3 glasses of firewhisky.

As he made his way to the bar once again, Draco heard his name being called. He turned around and was surprised to see Aiden Belmont standing in front of him. Aiden had been one of men that Draco had been seeing before the divorce. He was one of the the only men that Draco had actually had some semblance of feelings for. For awhile, Draco had even entertained the notion that one day they may have a chance to date. In the end, Aiden had broken things off because he didn't want to help Draco cheat anymore. Not because he was sick of being the other woman, so to speak, but because it was the noble thing to do. It had driven Draco insane at the time, but it had only made him like the man more.

"Aiden," he said with a smile. The other man smiled back and pulled him in for a hug. "How have you been?"

"I've been alright. How about you?" Aiden asked, looking at him with an intensity that surprised Draco but wasn't necessarily unpleasant.

"I've been good," Draco replied, a vision of Harry popping into his head.

"Good to hear," Aiden said and then after a pause, "I've missed you, Draco." He reached out to gently push some hair out of Draco's eye.

Draco was contemplating how to answer when he heard someone clear his or her throat behind him. And then he felt a hand on his lower back. Draco's eyes widened slightly in shock, and he whipped around to see who was behind him. He found himself staring into the questioning emerald eyes of none other than Harry Potter. He would like to think that there was a hint of anger in them too but that could just be wishful thinking. "Harry," he breathed happily. He knew that he should turn around to excuse himself from his conversation with Aiden, but Draco found that he couldn't turn away. Malfoy manners be damned.

Harry smiled at him. "Brought you a drink," he said sheepishly. "I saw you get interrupted on your way to the bar and thought you might like another." By the end of his sentence Harry was a lovely shade of bright red.

Draco smirked and took a subtle step forward. "And how long have you been watching me, Mr. Potter?" he asked playfully.

"Since the moment I walked in," Harry responded, startling Draco somewhat with his honesty. And suddenly Draco felt his cheeks heating up.

"And did you like what you saw?" Draco asked, his heart speeding up due to the intensity with which Harry was staring at him.

"I did, right up until the end there."

Draco smirked once again. "Jealous, Potter?" he asked, doing his best impression of 16 year old Draco.

Harry scowled half-heartedly at him. "Maybe...you should probably get used to it."

Draco felt himself melt at the other man's words. "I suppose that could be arranged."

Harry's face broke out into a smile. "Good." He leaned forward to whisper in Draco's ear. "Can I come over later and collect my midnight kiss?"

Draco's stomach flipped. "But I thought you said-"

Harry cut him off, "I know what I said, but you know what they say about New Year's Eve. How you spend this night is a prediction of how the whole rest of the year will go, and I would like to start us off on the right foot."

And with that and one more brush of his hand on Draco's lower back, Harry disappeared into the crowd, leaving Draco a quivering mess of anticipation.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks to all the favorites, follows, and reviews. :) So glad people are enjoying this story because I'm certainly enjoying writing it!

 **Chapter 19**

Harry smiled to himself as he slipped through the crowd away from Draco. He knew that he shouldn't have abandoned his wife without any notice to go talk to Draco, and he certainly shouldn't have asked him for a midnight kiss, but he couldn't help it. He had seen the other man hug him and had immediately decided to go interrupt. He knew it was ridiculous. He was there with his wife for Merlin's sake. He had no right to be jealous, and he definitely didn't have the right to sabotage Draco's evening if he wanted to spend time with the gentlemen he had been conversing with. All of these things had run through Harry's head as he made his way over to his favorite blond haired ex-Slytherin, but it hadn't made a difference. Luckily, Draco hadn't seemed to mind the interruption, and it had all been worth it to see his reaction. He couldn't wait until later when they could be alone for real.

Harry's smile faded as he came face to face with an irate looking Ginny. He sighed inwardly. What else was new? "Where have you been?" she hissed.

"I was socializing. Isn't that why we're here?" he responded, knowing that it would only make her more mad. He couldn't bring himself to care. Maybe if he made her mad enough, she would stomp away. Then he could spend the rest of the evening with Draco.

Ginny huffed in frustration but didn't say anything more on the topic. She pasted on a fake smile and hooked her arm through his. "Well from now on, we'll be socializing together."

The tone in her voice warned Harry not to argue. He too managed a fake smile as he was dragged over to the Minister of Magic by his wife.

The rest of the night seemed to be moving at a snail's pace for Harry. He had socialized with everyone his wife had dragged him over to, and now all he wanted to do was go home. Or Draco's for the midnight kiss he actually wanted, as the case may be. It was finally almost midnight, and he would no longer be obligated to stay at the party.

"Harry, let's go dance," Ginny said, breaking him out of his thoughts of Draco. Harry nodded and followed his wife out to the dance floor. He pulled her close as they began to sway along to the slow melody being played by the orchestra. "This is nice."

Harry pulled her a little closer and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "It is."

"We should go dancing more often," Ginny suggested, laying her head on his chest.

Harry made a noncommittal noise, not wanting to disrupt the peace of their dance but also not wanting to commit to anything he knew he didn't mean. Despite how nice to was to be enjoying his wife's company and how nice she felt leaning against him, he knew this wouldn't change anything. It was too late to save their marriage. "10...9...8…" Harry shook his head to clear his thoughts. "7...6...5…" He looked around the room, trying to find Draco but didn't see him. "4...3...2...1." Harry gently pulled Ginny's chin up and pulled her in for a chaste kiss as fireworks were set off above him. As Harry was about to pull away, Ginny leaned closer to deepen the kiss. It was a nice enough kiss, but it was nothing like kissing Draco. It was also a much longer kiss than he had intended.

When he finally managed to pull away from Ginny, Harry's eyes locked with Draco's, who was watching him with an unreadable expression. Harry was contemplating what to do to reassure Draco. He didn't have the chance, however, as the next moment Draco was pulled into the embrace of the man he had been talking to earlier, and then the man placed a not so chaste kiss on his lips. Harry turned away, a pit forming in his stomach. He took a deep breath and told Ginny he needed some air. He stopped at the bar and ordered himself a firewhisky before heading out the doors to the balcony that overlooks the Ministry grounds. He leaned on the railing as he sipped his drink and stared out into the darkness.

A moment later, he felt rather than heard someone approach. "Potter," Draco greeted.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned to look at his companion. "Draco," he responded with a small grin.

Draco didn't smile back. "Shouldn't you be inside with your wife and all your adoring fans?" he asked with more venom than Harry had heard in his voice since their Hogwarts days.

Harry wasn't quite sure what to say. It was obvious that Draco was bothered by his kiss with Ginny, but he had to know that Harry didn't have a choice. He also didn't appreciate the throwback to their former rivalry. Harry gave Draco a gentle, playful shove. "Am I supposed to insult you now, Malfoy? Maybe start a duel?"

Draco winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out so bitter."

Harry smiled and leaned into his companion for a brief moment. "So to what do I owe the honor of your presence?" he asked, attempting to lighten the mood.

"Honestly? I came out here to ask you not to come over tonight." Harry felt his heart drop. "But now that you're standing so close to me, I have no idea why I would ever ask you such a thing."

Harry couldn't help the smile that broke out. "Well, I for one am glad you've changed your mind." Draco turned a light shade of pink but smiled back. "I'm sorry about the kiss. I didn't intend for it to be anything more than a chaste kiss, and I certainly didn't intend for you to watch the whole thing."

Draco sighed. "I know it's none of my business, and I obviously have no right to talk. It still...stung a bit. I can't help it. I just want you all for myself." The last bit was whispered in Harry's ear, Draco's lips brushing against his ear briefly.

Harry's eyes fluttered closed and slowly pulled back. "Why, Mr. Malfoy, I think you may be drunk." Draco giggled, only reaffirming Harry's accusation. "So who's the guy? I'm sorry I interrupted earlier, I didn't realize that you were interested in him."

Draco shook his head. "I'm not. That was Aiden. He and I...dated for awhile," he responded with a shrug. "But to answer your question, yes I'm rather intoxicated."

Harry chuckled in response. "So am I. You see, there's this bloke that I think I'm pretty crazy about, but I'm here with my wife. If that isn't enough of a reason to drink then I don't know what is."

Draco started to lean closer but seemed to think better of it. "We should probably be heading back to the party."

Harry nodded begrudgingly. "Can I come see you later?" he asked hesitantly.

"You better," Draco responded softly. He looked around quickly before dropping a kiss onto Harry's cheek. And with that he disappeared back inside, leaving Harry in a much better mood than he had been in when he first stepped onto the balcony. He drained the rest of his drink before heading back inside as well, a plan of how to sneak away as soon as possible slowly forming in his mind.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks to all the favorites, follows, and reviews!

 **Chapter 20**

Draco headed back into the party, torn between being excited about later and disappointed in himself for caving. When he had seen Harry kissing Ginny, he had been ready to march up to Harry and inform him he didn't want to see him until after his divorce was underway. But then he was smiling at Draco and looking gorgeous in the moonlight. Just being so close to him made Draco's heart race, and he couldn't bring himself to stay away. The large amount of alcohol he had consumed that night probably had something to do with it.

Draco stopped by the bar before making his way through the crowd to find Aiden. He had said he was just using the restroom and knew he had been gone much longer than socially acceptable for that particular task. He found him leaning against the wall, sipping his drink. The man was beautiful, all tanned skin, long limbs, and messy, sandy hair. He wasn't wearing his signature round, silver glasses tonight, and his deep blue robes accentuated his gorgeous eyes. In another life, Draco could see them together, but in this life, it had become abundantly clear to him that Astoria had been right. Aiden, along with all the other men that Draco had slept with over the years, was simply a second rate substitute for who he really wanted: Harry Potter himself.

When Aiden spotted Draco, he pushed himself off the wall with a smile. "There you are," he said softly, brushing a kiss to the corner of Draco's mouth. "I thought maybe you had abandoned me." He stuck out his bottom lip in a mock pout that made Draco want to lean forward and suck on it. He stopped himself. The situation with Harry might have been a little complicated, but it was worth it. He didn't want to jeopardize his chances just because he was drunk and had run into an old flame.

Draco chuckled lightly. "Not at all. Just ran into an old family friend and couldn't get away," he lied effortlessly.

Aiden gave him a sympathetic smile and pulled him onto the dancefloor. As they swayed along with the music, Draco let his eyes scan the crowd for a shock of messy black hair. He couldn't find the man he was looking for so he focussed back on Aiden who was looking at him with a tentative expression. Draco knew what was about to happen, but he wasn't sure how to avoid it. "So, it's just about time that I get going," Aiden began. Draco nodded in agreement. "Would you like to come home with me? You know, for old time's sake," he added with a playful wink.

Draco winced inwardly. He had known this was about to happen. "I'm actually really tired."

"Oh c'mon, Draco. Don't you miss me?" His exaggerated pout was back on his face.

Draco sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry, Aiden. It was really great to catch up, but I'm kind of seeing someone right now so it just wouldn't feel right."

Aiden's face fell, and he pulled away from Draco. "I knew I shouldn't have waited so long after I heard about the divorce," he lamented with a wry smile. Draco wasn't sure what to say so he remained silent. "Well, if you ever find yourself single in the near future, you know how to reach me. It was nice to see you, Draco." With that and one last hug, Aiden walked away, and Draco found himself alone once again.

Draco downed the rest of his drink and searched the crowd once again for Harry. He spotted him near one of the doors talking to his wife. He made his way to that exit so that Harry would know that he was leaving. Harry's back was to him, however, so he decided he should stop and chat briefly. "Potter, Ginevra," he greeted politely.

Ginny's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and Harry spun around quickly in surprise. "Draco," Harry responded, barely containing a wide smile. "Heading home for the night?"

Draco nodded. "I am. Happy New Year to both of you."

"Same to you," Harry answered, his emerald eyes sparkling. _See you soon,_ he mouthed, just as Draco was going to leave. He nodded briefly before heading out the door.

Twenty minutes later, Draco was nervously pacing around the entryway to Malfoy Manor. He wasn't sure how long it would take Harry to get away from his wife, and he didn't want to fall asleep in the meantime. Not that sleep seemed plausible at this point, but still. The last thing he needed was for Harry to show up and for him to be passed out somewhere in the giant house.

The time ticked by slowly, and just as Draco was about to abandon all hope, the fireplace roared to life and out stepped Harry. Draco couldn't contain the large smile that spread across his face. "Harry!" he exclaimed.

Harry smiled back and pulled Draco into a hug. "I have something for you," Harry informed him.

Draco raised one eyebrow in question. "Oh really?"

"Yes, here," Harry answered and handed him a small potions vial.

"What is this?" Draco asked in confusion.

Harry looked a little sheepish. "A sobering potion." Draco simply stared at him. "You don't have to take it. I've already taken one. I just realized that most of the time we've spent together we've been pretty pissed. I wanted you to know that even if the alcohol was what gave me the initial courage to make a move, it's not the only reason I like you."  
Draco melted at his words and took the potion. He downed it quickly, shuddering at the aftertaste. And then just like that, he was stone cold sober. Harry smiled, clearly happy that he had taken the potion. "Should we move to the study?"

"In a minute, but first I think you owe me a midnight kiss," Harry said mischievously.

Draco smirked. "I hate to break it to you, Potter, but it's almost 2:30 in the morning."

Harry sighed. "Details, Draco, just details. Plus, I brought some supplies." With that, Harry enlarged the pocket watch that he was carrying in his pocket and levitated it above their heads. The hands were stopped 10 seconds before midnight.

"Well you just thought of everything, didn't you?" Draco asked, not even trying to hide his delight.

"Only the best for you," Harry whispered, brushing some of Draco's hair behind his ear. With the flick of his wand, the clock began to tick down. "10...9...8...7...6…" Harry moved closer wrapping one arm around Draco's waist. "5...4…" Draco moved even closer, pressing their bodies together. "3...2...1…" And then their lips met in a soft, passionate kiss. Fireworks that Harry had charmed to go off when the clock was done counting down exploded above their heads in a lovely display that neither man noticed. They were too busy exploring each other's mouths with their tongues. Harry moved his hand not wrapped around Draco's waist to tangle in the hair at the back of Draco's neck, eliciting a moan from the blond man.

In all of the excitement of the fireworks and the mind-blowing kiss, neither man registered the sounds of the Floo roaring to life. Nor did they notice the two figures exiting it. "Dad?!"

The men jumped apart in surprise, Draco's heart sinking. "Albus?" Harry croaked, eyes wide in surprise and panic. This was not how the end of the night was supposed to go.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks to all the favorites, follows, and reviews!

 **Chapter 21**

Harry looked at his son in horror, the same shock that he felt reflected in Albus's face. "Dad, what is going on?" his son choked out. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco grab Scorpius's arm and pull him towards the study, giving his son a look that Harry was very glad was not directed at him.

Harry had no idea how to even begin to explain this to his son. "Well-erm, the thing is…" he trailed off helplessly.

Albus narrowed his eyes slightly. "How long has this been going on?" he asked quietly, moving to sit on one of the stairs behind Harry.

Harry turned to face him and sat down on the floor in front of him. He let out a resigned sigh. "Only a few days." Albus continued to stare at him, his face disturbingly blank. "And there's nothing really going on."

Albus snorted in disbelief. "Really? Do you think I'm an idiot? I just saw you with your tongue down Mr. Malfoy's throat."

"That's only the second time we kissed, I swear. The first time was the day after Scorpius's birthday. I came back to talk about Astoria showing up, and then one thing led to another," Harry tried to explain, his voice betraying his desperation to have his son believe him. "I shouldn't have come here tonight." He dropped his head to stare at his hands.

"No you shouldn't have," Albus replied, his voice much gentler than Harry expected.

Harry lifted his head to look at his son. "I'm so sorry you had to see this, Al."

Albus nodded slowly. "You and mum are getting a divorce, aren't you?" he asked sadly.

Harry's heart broke a bit hearing the tone in his voice. "We haven't officially discussed it, but yeah, we are. Please don't say anything to your siblings or your mum. We have plans to talk about things after you lot go back to school, but there's just no fixing us anymore."

"And you would rather be with Mr. Malfoy." Albus sniffled quietly and wiped away a tear. "I won't say anything. I knew things were bad; I expected this. Somehow hearing you say it is harder than I thought it would be."

Harry moved to sit next to his son and put his arm around him. Albus immediately turned his head and buried it in his father's shoulder. "Me too, Al, me too." He said, a lump forming in his throat. "And if it helps, our divorce will have nothing to do with Draco. I had come to the conclusion that your mum and I weren't working before anything happened between Draco and I."

Albus sniffled again and nodded. He wiped away the rest of his tears and sat up straight. "Everything will be okay. And I must say, Dad, you have good taste in men."

Harry chuckled as he ruffled his son's hair. "So you're okay with all of this?"

Albus shrugged. "I wish you and mum didn't have to break up, but I can see that neither of you are happy. I really like Mr. Malfoy, though I would have preferred to never have the image of you two snogging in my brain. I think it may permanently be there now." Albus grimaced, presumably picturing the scene once again.

Harry laughed. "I apologize for scarring you for life."

Albus smirked mischievously. "You know, if I don't think about it too hard, I can almost imagine that I'm watching myself snog Mr. Malfoy. We look quite alike from the back, and that thought isn't such a bad one."

Harry gaped at his son, mouth opening and closing frantically. "I am going to pretend you never said that." Albus collapsed in a fit of giggles. "You just think you're so funny don't you?"

Albus nodded mutely. "I don't think I know," he responded with a wide grin. "But in all seriousness, Mr. Malfoy is a fit bloke. You know, for an old man."

Harry wasn't sure if he should be more scandalized that his son found his future boyfriend attractive or that his son indirectly called him old. "Hey! We are the same age, and we are not old!" Harry exclaimed, feeling a blush spread across his face "Also, is there something you'd like to tell me, Al?"

Albus rubbed his chin, pretending to be deep in thought, suddenly snapping his fingers excitedly. "You know what? I did. Dad, I'm gay. Now we can talk about boys together!" Albus responded with a happy clap.

Harry just shook his head. "You are ridiculous, but I love you."

"I love you too, Dad. Everything's going to be okay." He leaned his head back on his father's shoulder. Harry bent to give him a quick kiss on the top of his head, and when he raised it, his eyes met Draco's. Draco was standing at the entrance to the study, looking at Harry with a soft expression that made Harry melt. He gave him a small smile while trying to hide his faint blush before turning back to his son.

 _Meanwhile in the study…._

"What the bloody hell were you thinking, bringing Albus here?" Draco hissed angrily, quickly casting a silencing spell around the room.

Scorpius's head was bowed in remorse. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I had no idea that Mr. Potter would be here, or I never would have brought him here. Please forgive me," he pleaded.

Draco sighed and softened slightly. "It's okay, there's no way you could've known."

"I honestly didn't think anything was going on. I thought if there was, you'd tell me," Scorpius responded softly, a slightly betrayed tone to his voice.

"Oh, Scor, there's nothing actually going on. We have plans to try something after his divorce, but that's it. I had no idea that he was going to come over here until I ran into him tonight. And then he asked to come over to get a midnight kiss and he brought all this stuff and then...I'm sorry. I'm rambling," Draco apologized with a blush.

"It's okay, Dad. That's what happens when you're in loooove." Draco rolled his eyes but felt his cheeks get even warmer. Scorpius giggled. "So tell me about all the stuff he brought."

Draco smiled at the memory and told his son all about Harry's midnight set up. When he finished Scorpius was watching him, his eyes twinkling. "Dad, that sounds amazing. I'm happy for you."

"So now, what were you and Albus up to?" Draco asked, with a pointed look at his son.

Scorpius had the decency to look sheepish. "Well, I really shouldn't tell you." Draco gave his son a stern look. "Okay, fine. Albus...well he had a bit of a rough time at the party so he ended up getting drunk. Then he didn't want to go home because his parents would be mad so I said he could stay here. We were going to send an owl to his parents as soon as we got here so they wouldn't worry, and I was going to leave a note for you. Guess we don't need to send that owl, huh?"

Draco chuckled. "Guess not. You're a good friend, Scor. Is everything okay with Albus?"

Scorpius nodded hesitantly. "I probably shouldn't tell you this, but I need to talk to someone about it. Albus has had a crush on the same...person... for ages so tonight he decided to make a move. It didn't go so well, which was kind of to be expected, but that wasn't the worst part. Everyone was just so cruel about it. I don't think they necessarily meant to be, but Albus is self-conscious. Everyone kept making jokes, and after every joke he just drank a little more. And then all of the sudden he was totally pissed."

Draco frowned slightly, replaying what his son had said in his head. "Scor, is Albus gay?" Scorpius noded. "And everyone was making fun of him for it?"

Scorpius sighed. "Like I said, I don't think they meant to be cruel, but they just kept making all these jokes about it. Albus still hasn't really come to terms with it fully. He's trying, but it's hard for him."

Draco nodded in sympathy. "Well then maybe bringing Albus here was the best thing that could have happened," he said thoughtfully.

Scorpius brightened up at this. "Maybe he'll talk to his dad about it, and everything will be okay. I hope so." A loud yawn escaped his mouth, muffling the last word.

"Me too, Scor," Draco responded, pulling his son into a hug. "It's late. Why don't you sleep on the couch here? I'll go check on the Potters."

Scorpius nodded in agreement. He laid down, and Draco conjured him a blanket. He then made his way to the door of the study to observe the Potters. Harry had his arm around Albus's shoulder and leaned down to kiss him on the head. Draco's heart twisted at the tenderness of the moment. When Harry's eye's met his across the room, giving him a small smile, eyes shining with happiness, Draco realized that maybe Astoria and Scorpius weren't too far off after all. Maybe he was falling in love with Harry Potter.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks to all the favorites, follows, and reviews! The moment we've all been waiting for, folks :)

 **Chapter 22**

The day that Harry had been both counting down to and dreading was finally upon them. It was the day that his children were going back to Hogwarts. To Harry, this also meant that today was the day he would sit down and ask his wife for a divorce. Every time he thought about it, his heart would speed up both in excitement and panic.

"Albus, Lily, James, you need to get down here, or we will be late!" Ginny called up the stairs, jarring Harry out of his thoughts. He sighed quietly, sensing the tension rolling off his wife in waves. He had a feeling that she knew what was coming tonight and was not at all happy about it.

"One minute!" Albus called back, as his siblings came running down the stairs. Ginny huffed in frustration.

"Gin, why don't you take James and Lily, and I'll be there in just a minute or two with Albus," Harry suggested.

Ginny paused for a moment before nodding and gathering the two children to her. A moment later they Apparated away with a pop. Albus soon made his way down the stairs with his trunk in tow. "Did they leave?"

Harry nodded. "I told them to go ahead. I wanted to talk to you for a minute."

Albus grimaced slightly. They hadn't had a chance to talk, just the two of them, since the night in Malfoy Manor. "I won't mention anything to James and Lily."

"Well I'm glad, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. I got a letter from Draco this morning with some new information about New Year's Eve."

Albus's head fell. "I can't believe Scorpius told him," he mumbled sadly.

"Hey," Harry said gently, reaching out to lift his son's chin. "I don't care that you were drunk. I would prefer that you don't make it a regular occurrence, but I understand. I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Albus smiled and hugged his dad. "Thanks, Dad, and yeah I'll be okay. I guess I feel less alone after the other night."

Harry returned the hug with enthusiasm. "I'm glad. If you ever feel alone like that again, you can owl me anytime, okay?"

Albus nodded as he pulled away from his father's embrace. "We should go before Mum loses it." Harry chuckled and held out his arm for his son to grab. Albus paused for a moment and added in a conspiratory whisper, "Keep me updated on what's going on with you and Mr. Malfoy. You don't want me to hear everything from Scorpius."

Harry laughed and agreed, holding his arm out once again. Albus grabbed on, and the pair Apparated to the closest apparition point to King's Cross Station. When they stepped through to Platform 9 ¾, the Hogwarts Express was already there waiting. Ginny spotted them and gave Harry a murderous look. "You are lucky you made it," she hissed as they stopped next to the rest of the family.

The next few moments were filled with hugs and a chorus of goodbyes as the three children rushed onto the Hogwarts Express to meet their friends. As Harry and Ginny turned to go after the train pulled away, Harry's eyes were drawn to the gorgeous, blond man that had recently occupied most of his thoughts. Within seconds, Draco turned to meet his eyes with a small smile. Harry returned the smile and gave him a subtle wave, not wanting to draw any attention to the interaction lest Ginny notice and yell at him some more.

They made their way to the apparition point in uncomfortable, tense silence. When they found themselves in their living room, the couple simply stared at each other. Harry knew that now was the time, but he couldn't figure out where to begin. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, hoping that inspiration would strike once he started talking, but he was cut off by Ginny. "I know what you're going to say. As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. We're not working anymore, and I don't think there's anything that's going to fix that. You want a divorce, right?" Ginny said flatly, no emotion on her face.

Harry's face fell in despair, but he nodded. "I'm so sorry, Gin. I wish things were different, but they're just not…" He trailed off, not knowing what else to say to adequately describe how he felt.

"And you've found someone else haven't you?" There was still no emotion in her voice.

Harry felt the blood drain from his face. "Why would you say that?" he rasped.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm not blind, Harry. I've seen the signs. You keep disappearing for hours at a time, sometimes overnight. I know you've been out fucking someone."

Harry swallowed roughly. "I haven't slept with anyone else, Ginny."

"But you're seeing someone," she shot back.

Harry shook his head helplessly. "Not exactly. I have found someone that I intend to pursue once our divorce is over, but we haven't really been seeing each other."

Harry watched as Ginny fell apart in front of his eyes. She slid to the floor, sobs wracking her body. Harry had no idea what to do so he slid down and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry, Gin, so sorry," he soothed, rubbing her back gently. She continued to cry into his chest, and Harry felt a few tears roll down his cheeks as well. How had they gotten to this point? Where did everything go so wrong?

Several minutes later, Ginny pulled back wiping her tears off her face. "Who is she?" Her voice was back to emotionless.

"Does it really matter?" Harry asked, trying to stall.

"Yes. I need to know."

Harry nodded curtly, avoiding her eyes. "It's, well, it's… Draco Malfoy," he mumbled quietly, stealing a glance at Ginny.

Ginny stared at him in shock, mouth falling open, before collapsing in a fit of giggles. Harry had thought about this moment many times over the last couple weeks, but this is the last response he had expected. Because of this, he had no idea how to respond. "I'm sorry," she gasped, falling back into raucous laughter once again. "It's just...it just makes so much bloody sense! I can't believe this didn't happen years ago."

Now it was Harry's turn to gape. "What?" he blurted.

"All that hate? All those fights with the two of you rolling around on the ground, despite the fact that you both had wands? You basically ran on sexual tension all through school. I'm just surprised I didn't see it sooner."

"Well," Harry began carefully. "You may have played a small role in it."

At that Ginny snapped her head up. "What do you mean?" she asked tentatively.

"You accused me of being obsessed with him, and after that I was obsessed with your comment. I mentioned it to Draco once, and it freaked him out. Astoria divorced him because she thought he was in love with me," Harry admitted quietly.

Ginny nodded slowly. "Well, as much as I should be appalled that I played a role in your affair-" Harry opened his mouth to argue with the classification, but Ginny continued, "in a weird way, I'm glad. Plus, this is much better than you falling for some young, hot woman."

Harry chuckled weakly. "I want you to know that I never meant to cheat on you, and we only kissed twice. That's as far as it ever went."

"It's okay, Harry, or at least it will be. We haven't been happy in a long time; we just didn't notice because we were so preoccupied with the kids."

"I really thought you'd be a bit more...angry," Harry admitted sheepishly.

Ginny let out a quiet giggle. "Me too, but I just think I'm too tired to be angry anymore. I've been angry for so long. I'd just like to start moving on, you know? Plus, I don't want our children to be torn between the two of us. They've seen enough negativity already."

Harry pulled his wife, who wasn't going to be his wife much longer, into another hug. "Thank you. I agree. So what happens now?"

"Well, as much as I would like to move on, it's not something that will just happen overnight. I think I may need some space," she said sadly, pulling away to look at Harry's response.

"I completely understand. You can stay here; I'll stay at Ron and Hermione's."

"Well," Ginny began, biting her lip. "I'd like a few days to process everything before we tell our kids and the family. If you stay at Ron and Hermione's they'll know something's up. Why don't you ask Mal-um Draco if you can stay with him?"

Harry stared at Ginny in shock. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Ginny gave him a small smile. "Go get your man, Harry. I'm going to be just as sad no matter where you stay so you might as well be happy. Plus, I just can't face my family right now."

Harry nodded in understanding. "If that's what you want. I could always stay at the Leaky if you'd prefer it."

Ginny shook her head adamantly. "Go see Draco later. We'll take a few days, and then we can talk about telling everyone." Harry tried his best to hold in his smile, but he wasn't very successful. "You really like him don't you?"

Harry's grin grew. "Yeah, Gin, I really do. Also, I should let you know...Al already knows about the divorce."

Ginny glared at Harry. "And how the bloody hell did that happen?" Harry winced and told her about New Year's Eve, ending the explanation with a sincere apology. Ginny sighed but the only thing she said was, "So our son is gay, huh? Like father like son."

Harry stuck his tongue out childishly. "Thank you for being so cool about this, Gin."

"Yeah, yeah. Now go pack and find your man before I start crying again."

Harry gave Ginny one last hug before doing just that.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Shoutout to Ern Estine 13624, Kigen Dawn, and Sarahamanda Klaine for faithfully reviewing and sharing their thoughts :)

 **Chapter 23**

Draco sat in his study, sprawled out on the couch, drunker than he would like to admit. He had come home from dropping off Scorpius at the Hogwarts Express and felt himself drift into depression almost immediately. The only logical next step for him was to start drinking, as was his usual routine after dropping off his son ever since the divorce. The alcohol had the opposite of the desired effect, however, as all it did was make him contemplate just how alone he was. Not only was his son gone, but the situation with Harry was making him anxious. He knew that Harry planned on discussing the divorce with his wife once their kids were back at Hogwarts, but he didn't know when exactly. Was it today? A week from now? Three months from now? And what if when he brought it up to Ginny she convinced him to stay with her? They had so much history, how the bloody hell could Draco compete with that?

Draco sighed in frustration and raked his hands through his hair. He considered pouring himself another drink, but he was at the point where he had a feeling there was a higher chance that he would spill it than successfully pour it. Draco admitted to himself that it probably meant that he had had enough for the evening. It didn't stop him from debating inwardly about why he deserved another drink anyway. He was broken out of his very intoxicated thoughts by the sound of the Floo in the other room roaring to life.

Draco sat up quickly, feeling his head spin with the effort. He took a moment before standing up slowly to avoid more spinning. As he stumbled his way to the front hall, he cursed to himself that he didn't keep a sobering potion in the study. He had no idea who had dropped by without any notice, but he was pretty sure that they wouldn't want to see him this intoxicated. When he finally reached the foyer, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was standing there, obviously waiting for him. He was proud of himself for not falling over after his abrupt stop, but he did feel a blush rise to his already red cheeks as the stop was less than graceful. "Harry," he choked out quietly.

Harry gave him a small smile. "Hi."

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked, only slurring slightly.

"Draco, are you drunk?" came Harry's response, blatantly ignoring the question.

Draco glared slightly before answering, although he was fairly certain that it came nowhere near the menace he wanted to convey. He sniffed haughtily before saying, "I may have had a few drinks." He annunciated each word slowly in hopes of sounding more sober.

"Scorpius?" Harry asked with a sympathetic smile. Draco nodded miserably, annoyed as he felt tears well in his eyes. He just barely kept himself from ranting about how utterly alone he was. "Here, I brought you something."

Draco bit his lip, trying his best to keep it together and peaked at Harry through the corner of his eye. Harry was holding out a small potions vial for him to take. He chuckled weakly. "Sobering potion?"

Harry nodded in response. "When it comes to the two of us, I figured it's better to be safe than sorry," he added with a wink and was surprised when Draco flung himself at him in an enthusiastic hug. "Alright, drunkie, let's go to the study, and you can tell me all about why you have apparently consumed an entire bottle of firewhisky."

Draco nodded into Harry's chest before leading them slowly to the study. He flopped down onto the couch one more time and swallowed the sobering potion in one gulp. When the potion kicked in, Draco felt himself flush in embarrassment. "Sorry about that," he mumbled, not wanting to meet Harry's eyes. "Dropping off Scorpius has always been hard for me...particularly after the divorce. This house is too damn big to be alone."

Harry laid a hand on Draco's arm. "About that…" he began awkwardly.

Draco raised one eyebrow in question. "Is this the part where you finally tell me why you're here?"

Harry nodded but didn't say anything. He simply chewed on his bottom lip. Draco could tell that Harry was anxious about something, and he vaguely acknowledged that there was a good chance that he should be anxious about what the other man was going to stay. Instead, all he could think about was how much he wanted to be the one biting Harry's bottom lip. This led to him imagining not only nipping at it but sucking on it and exploring the dark-haired man's gorgeous mouth with his tongue. Draco was thoroughly lost in his fantasy when Harry finally worked up enough nerve to talk. "So Ginny and I talked today…"

Draco's head snapped up from Harry's lips to his eyes. Draco could feel his heartbeat starting to speed up. "Well, Potter, she is your wife. I imagine you talk to her fairly often. Every day, even," he drawled in an attempt to cover up his insecurities, despite the fact that he knew exactly what Harry meant.

To Harry's credit, he didn't rise to the bait. Instead he responded with a chuckle. "Ha ha, Draco. Let me be more specific. Ginny and I discussed getting a divorce today."

Draco sucked in a deep breath, trying to slow his heart rate but was unsuccessful. "And?" he winced as he heard his voice crack in anticipation.

"Ginny knew what I wanted to say before I even said it. She then accused me of sleeping with someone else."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her the truth. I wasn't sleeping with someone, but there was someone I was interested in. She then demanded to know who it was."

Draco felt his throat start to close up in panic. "So what happened? She reminded you of all of the terrible things I did in my life and convinced you not to be with me, didn't she?" he couldn't help demanding.

Harry shook his head, and Draco felt himself relax the tiniest bit. "Pretty much the exact opposite. She burst out laughing and told me how much sense it made."

Draco gaped at him. "She _laughed_?" he asked in disbelief.

Harry nodded with a laugh of his own. "Yep, and then she told me she wanted a couple days to process everything before we make it public that we plan to divorce. She suggested I stay here in the meantime. So...can I stay here for a few days?" Harry gave him his most winningly hopeful smile.

"You're getting a divorce, and you want to stay here for a few days," Draco repeated slowly, not fully comprehending everything.

Harry began to bite his bottom lip once again, obviously nervous that Draco hadn't immediately said yes. When Draco finally processed what exactly Harry was asking him, he slid his hand to the back of the other man's neck and pulled him close, his lips meeting Harry's. The kiss was quick but full of promise. "So I'll take that as a yes?" Harry asked, somewhat breathlessly, only moving far enough back to be able to look Draco in the eye.

Draco nodded. "For as long as you need," he responded, the last word muffled as he pulled Harry back into a passionate kiss. When they finally pulled away several minutes later, it was only because they needed to come up for air. Draco's heart was bursting with happiness as he surveyed the man in front of him, the man, who if Draco had any say in the matter, would be his for the rest of their lives.

 **A/N:** This might be the end. I haven't fully decided, but it seems like a natural place to stop. I'll at least write an epilogue. Tell me your thoughts! To continue or not to continue?


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** After a unanimous decision by the reviewers and a little stroke of inspiration, I have decided to continue. It will likely only be a few more chapters and an epilogue, but I'm not completely ruling out a longer story or a sequel in the future. I have a couple other ideas I'd like to start working on as well.

Kigen Dawn: Thanks for pointing out the mistake! Getting my kids mixed up, but it's all fixed now :)

ToasterMuffan: I appreciate the feedback on the rating, but it's not quite over yet ;)

 **Chapter 24**

Harry awoke on his fourth morning in the Manor nestled with his back against Draco's chest and Draco's arm lying loosely across his side. He was happier than he had been in a long time, but he would be lying if he didn't say that he was a bit...frustrated. Since the first night when they had snogged in the study, they had done nothing but exchange a few brief, almost chaste kisses. It had been a lovely few days. The pair of them had talked about a little of everything from light teasing to serious conversations about how lonely Draco felt since the divorce and how Harry was dealing with his. And Harry could admit that Draco was most likely looking to him for cues about how to handle their relationship, knowing that Harry had absolutely no sexual experience with another man and wasn't even divorced yet. Despite this, Harry was still frustrated. Everything about Draco drove him absolutely mad: the way his hair fell over one eye while he was reading, the low chuckle that escaped his mouth when Harry made a joke, the look in his eyes when Harry caught him staring at him, and right now the feel of his morning erection pressing against Harry's ass.

The longer Harry lay there, the more frustrated he became and the more blood flowed to his cock. He was about to get up to take care of the situation before he thought better of it. If Draco was waiting for him to set the pace, maybe he should just give him a very obvious hint that he was ready to take a step forward. Harry paused, biting his lip in indecision. On the one hand, he had no idea how to pleasure another man, but on the other hand he really was horny. Plus, he was fully aware of what felt good when someone was doing it to him so he could only imagine using those techniques would at least be a decent start.

Taking a deep breath he mumbled to himself, "Screw it." Harry then slowly and gently turned around so he was facing Draco, doing his best to keep from disrupting the bed too much. He was afraid that if Draco woke up before he had actually began the task at hand, he wouldn't have the nerve to start. He paused for a moment, listening to Draco's even breathing, indicating that he was still asleep. The man in front of him looked so peaceful and breathtakingly beautiful when he slept. There was rarely a time while Draco was awake that he looked quite so innocent. Perhaps it had something to do with the almost ever-present smirk he wore. Harry did acknowledge, however, that it was typically a teasing smirk as opposed to the cruel sneer of their school days.

Harry slowly raised one of his hands and moved towards the waistband of the cotton pants that Draco was sleeping in. He paused about a centimeter away to calm his nerves. This should not be such a big deal. Sure, Draco had more experience than him, but he could tell by the way the other man looked at him that he was crazy about him. He may tease Harry a little about this, but he wouldn't be cruel in any way. Steeling his resolve, Harry closed the gap between his fingers and Draco's abdomen. He then cautiously slid his hand under the waistband of Draco's pants and wrapped it loosely around the other man's dick. He trailed his fingers lightly from base to tip, closing his eyes tightly when he heard Draco's breath catch in his throat. He buried his head in the crook of Draco's neck and laid open mouthed kisses at the junction between his neck and collarbone to distract himself. He could feel Draco's pulse speed up under him and by the pattern of his breathing could tell that his companion was definitely awake.

Harry couldn't bring himself to look at Draco so instead he trailed kisses up Draco's neck to rest them over his pulse point. He sucked gently before giving the spot a nip that elicited a small moan from Draco. Emboldened by his response, Harry wrapped his hand fully around Draco's arousal and began to slowly stroke him. This elicited an even louder moan from the blond man, making Harry smile into his neck.

After a particularly hard stroke and a subsequent loud moan, Draco pulled himself away from Harry's grasp. At this, Harry's head snapped up to look at Draco, pleading with his eyes for an explanation. Draco must have seen the confusion and hurt in Harry's eyes because he reached out to cup his cheek. "Harry," he began quietly, slightly out of breath. "What's going on?"

"Well I thought I was getting you off, but apparently not," Harry responded petulantly.

Draco chuckled and stroked the other man's cheek with his thumb. "You were doing a wonderful job, I just wanted to make sure this is actually what you want."

Harry gave him an exasperated look. "Of course this is what I want!" he exclaimed, gesturing to the tent in his pajamas as evidence to this.

Draco's gaze dropped from Harry's face to the aforementioned tent and within a millisecond had pushed Harry onto his back and crushed his lips against his in a passionate kiss. Harry smiled briefly into the kiss before returning it with just as much passion. Draco was sliding his tongue along Harry's bottom lip in an almost desperate attempt to gain entrance. Harry obliged immediately and revelled in the feeling of Draco's tongue caressing his.

Harry felt himself getting lost in the kiss, so lost in fact that he didn't realize that Draco's hand had crept under his thin t-shirt until he felt a pleasurable pinch of his right nipple. Harry tilted his head back as he moaned, momentarily breaking the kiss. Draco took this opportunity to kiss along Harry's jaw and down his neck. Every once in awhile he threw in a nip to keep Harry on his toes.

As Harry revelled in the immense pleasure his lover was causing him, he briefly wondered how he had so quickly become the submissive one. He certainly didn't mind since he hadn't really had a game plan, and he felt like a teenager discovering sex for the first time. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Draco grabbed his shoulders, having him sit up slightly so he could peel off his shirt. Draco's shirt immediately followed, and Harry felt his throat go dry. Draco had obviously kept in shape over the years, his chest a thin, pale wall of muscle that Harry didn't think he would ever grow tired of looking at. Draco cleared his throat self-consciously, a small smirk playing on his lips. "Like what you see, Potter?" he drawled haughtily.

Harry laughed and nodded enthusiastically. "Very much so," he responded, letting his eyes drift down his body once more, causing a subtle flush to appear on Draco's abdomen. Armed with the knowledge that he was having just as much of an effect on Draco as Draco was having on him he added with a wink, "Makes me want to take a look at the rest of you."

Draco growled before capturing Harry's lips once again in a bruising kiss. Harry arched into it, his erection brushing against Draco's, making the pair moan in unison. The next moment they were clawing at each other's pants, wasting no time getting the other naked, all the while keeping their lips glued together. The moment that Draco kicked his pants all the way off, he shifted them so they were laying side by side, pressed together. He then reached between them and took both of their cocks in his hand, slowly stroking both of them.

Harry couldn't help the long string of profanities that fell from his lips at the moment. He wasn't sure that anything had ever felt this good in his life, and it was just a handjob. Granted, it was an incredibly erotic handjob but still. Draco's hand was stroking the two of them as his lips attacked Harry's neck. As the pleasure grew and his hand began to move faster, there were less kisses and more heavy breathing and moans against his neck. Harry wanted to do something more to participate, but his brain was so much a haze of arousal that he didn't even know where to begin. So instead he continued to moan and praise the man doing amazing things to him. The pleasure continued to build until Harry felt a familiar tension in body. "About to cum," Harry gasped, although he was pretty sure it came out as an unintelligible string of sounds. Draco must have understood what he meant, however, as he sped his hand up slightly. This was enough to push Harry over the edge. He groaned loudly and arched his back as his orgasm hit him full force, and he spilled the evidence of his pleasure all over Draco's hand and cock. He felt the other man release him and opened his eyes just in time to watch Draco's face contort in pleasure as he came silently into his hand.

After a moment of recovery, Draco collapsed on the bed next to Harry. Harry turned to face the man who had given him one of the most pleasurable orgasms Harry could recall in recent history. "Well that was...unexpected," Draco murmured as he reached over Harry to grab his wand and uttered a spell to clean up the mess they had made.

Harry smiled at his companion. "But welcome, I hope."

Draco smiled back. "Absolutely, but I hope you know I now expect a wake up like this every morning."

Harry gave him a playful shove. "Yes, Your Highness."

"You've only been here a couple days, but you're learning quickly." Draco flashed him one of his patent, teasing smirks.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and kiss me."

Draco wasted no time in complying which led to the pair staying in bed for several hours, simply enjoying each other's company.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** If you haven't yet, go check out my Christmas one-shot entitled "O Awkward Night." Also as a heads up, this is likely to be the last update until after Christmas. Happy Holidays everyone :)

 **Chapter 25**

After spending a better part of the day in the bed, stomachs rumbling from lack of food and limbs sore from lack of movement, the pair dragged themselves up to get ready for the day. Harry padded over to the closet where Draco had made space for some of his clothes, while Draco gathered his things and headed to take a shower. He was just about to cross the threshold into the bathroom when he paused. "Hey, Harry," he called uncertainly.

Harry turned around and was greeted with a shirtless Draco looking up at him from under his hair and biting his lip nervously. "Yeah?"

"You wouldn't want to…er join me, would you?" Draco stuttered.

Harry laughed lightly. He was certain he had never seen the other man quite so unsure of himself. He was about to respond enthusiastically in the positive when there was a tapping at the window. Both men turned towards the sound. There was a Pygmy owl darting around outside the window with a letter tied to his leg. Immediately, Harry recognized the owl as his and knew the letter must be from Ginny. "I would love to, but that'll be from Ginny. I should take care of this."

Harry glanced at Draco out of the corner of his eye to see how he was reacting. Draco's face was expressionless as he nodded curtly and made his way to the bathroom. Harry sighed but knew there was nothing he could do to help right now. It was easy to forget about the divorce and all of the other complications while they were holed up in the Manor, but the real world was bound to intrude sooner or later. Harry couldn't wait for the divorce business to be over so he could devote all of his attention to getting to know everything possible about the gorgeous former enemy that had recently captured his attention. He made his way to the window and took the letter from Puff, the family owl. Lily had named him when she was quite young, and there was no changing his name now. He sat down on Draco's bed and slowly began to unfurl the letter.

 _Dear Harry,_

 _I have taken a few days to wallow a bit and process everything that is happening. I think I am ready to share the news with the family. As horrible as telling everyone is bound to be, I think it is best to do it sooner rather than later. I don't know about you, but I am ready to begin putting everything behind us and moving on. I sincerely hope that things are going well with Draco, and the last few days have gone better for you than they have for me._

Harry felt his heart constrict painfully in his chest, partly in sympathy for Ginny but mostly in guilt that he was having a great time with Draco.

 _I have given this some thought, and I am not sure who we should tell first. I was thinking either the kids or Ron and Hermione should be first. Please let me know if you have any preference. I have cleared my schedule all day tomorrow to have some of these conversations, if that works for you. I will await your return owl._

 _Ginny_

Harry continued to stare at the letter for several minutes after he finished reading it. Despite the fact that earlier he couldn't wait to finish this, now that he was facing the reality of explaining the situation to his children, his best friends, and his family, he was crippled with panic. He could just picture the disappointment on everyone's faces, particularly the elder Weasleys. They had always treated him like a son but would that change after they found out about everything? He couldn't even begin to bring himself to imagine the reactions to Draco. He shuddered and quickly redirected his thoughts. There was no use agonizing over it now.

As Harry continued to stare at the letter, he was vaguely aware of the shower turning off. A moment later, Draco reappeared in the bedroom wearing nothing but a towel. Harry let the letter slide out of his fingers and onto the bed beside him as he took in the beautiful man standing across the room. His chest was very pale, almost like marble, and his towel was slung low on his hips, the tiniest hint of blond hair peeking out the top. Harry felt his mouth go dry as he continued to eye Draco. He was a split second from jumping off the bed and dragging Draco back into it with him when the other man spoke, "What did the letter say?" He was clearly trying to sound casual, but the subtle tremble in his voice gave him away.

"She would like to get together tomorrow to start telling people about the divorce," Harry responded, somber once again. Draco's shoulders seemed to sag slightly in relief. Harry paused for a second before deciding to address it. "Draco," he began gently.

Draco made his way across the room and sat down on the bed next to Harry. "Hmm?"

"Even if she had begged for me to come home and forget about the divorce, it wouldn't change anything. You're welcome to read the letter if you'd like," he offered, wanting to reassure Draco.

Draco shook his head and then leaned over so it was resting on Harry's shoulder. Harry shifted so he could put his arm around the other man and pull him closer. "No, thanks though. I'm sorry for being so insecure."

Harry tightened his grip around him. "It's completely understandable. If it makes you feel better, if it were up to me I'd never leave here," he murmured, only half aware that he was still saying these things out loud. When he realized that he had indeed vocalized the last part, he felt himself blush. "Er it's way too early in this to be saying things like that."

Draco chuckled but didn't respond. Instead he turned his head to look at Harry and slowly pulled the dark haired man down until their lips were pressed together in a tender kiss. Harry returned the gentle pressure, their lips not really moving but just pressed together. Draco pulled back slightly and smiled up at Harry. "So who are you going to tell first?" he inquired.

"Well, Ginny suggested either the kids or Ron and Hermione. I think we should tell the kids first. They deserve to know, and at least Al already knows and somewhat approves. It'll make it a little easier."

"I think that's probably the best approach. They're bound to be upset either way, but if they feel like they're the last to know, it'll only make it worse."

Harry nodded. "I'll just write Ginny back quickly, and then we can do whatever you want to do."

Draco cocked his eyebrow skeptically. "Anything?" he asked suggestively, his voice dropping an octave as he nuzzled his nose against Harry's neck.

Harry giggled at the sensation. "Well maybe not anything, you horny bastard."

Draco gave him a mock pout before turning his nuzzles into kisses and nips up and down Harry's neck. "One of these days, Potter, I will have my way with you."

"And how do you know it won't be I having my way with you, hmm?" the end of his question morphing into a moan of pleasure as Draco continued his assault on his neck.

Draco pulled back to meet Harry's eyes, his own eyes darkening with lust. "Lucky for you, I enjoy both positions."

Harry shivered and pulled Draco's mouth up to his forcefully. Ginny's letter could wait a little bit.

The next morning, Harry made sure that he and Draco were up and ready for the day quite early. Ginny was Firecalling the Manor when she was ready to go to Hogwarts, and then he was meeting her at the Three Broomsticks where they had gotten permission to use the Floo to get to the Headmistresses office. Their children would be gathered there waiting for them. He didn't want to take any risks of Ginny seeing something that would in any way upset her or made her uncomfortable. At approximately quarter to ten, the Floo roared to life. Harry and Draco were sitting in the study where they could easily hear the Floo. "Harry?" he heard Ginny call from the fire.

"I'm going to head out. I'll be back sometime this evening, I think," Harry said to Draco who had been uncharacteristically quiet that morning.

Draco nodded. He stood up and hugged Harry, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Good luck," he whispered.

"Try not to miss me too much," Harry joked with a wink. He planted a gentle kiss on Draco's lips and then headed to the front room.

"Hey, Gin," Harry called to the fire. "I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks."

Ginny nodded once and with that the fire died again. Harry took one deep breath and then Disapparated with a pop.

The next moment Harry found himself staring at his first real home in the distance. Ginny appeared at his side a second later. They stared at each other for an awkward moment before Harry took a step towards her and pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Ginny," he mumbled into her hair.

Ginny pulled back after a moment. "Me too, Harry, me too." She sighed and then seemed to pull herself together. "Off to Hogwarts then."

The pair Flooed to the Headmistress's office, their children sitting in a row of chairs in front of the desk, the Headmistress nowhere to be found. "Mom, Dad! What's going on? Is everyone okay?" James exclaimed.

He vaguely heard Ginny reassuring him that no one was hurt or dying as he looked past her and locked eyes with Al, who was looking at him with a questioning look. Harry nodded once attempting to indicate that they were here to discuss what he so obviously assumed. Al nodded back in understanding. Ginny and Harry made their way in front of the large desk to stand in front of their kids. "Well, you're probably wondering why we called you here on a Saturday," Harry began awkwardly. He didn't want to drag this out with small talk because he knew his kids were far too impatient for that.

All three of his kids nodded, although Al was clearly doing it for show, his face emotionless as he waited for the inevitable. Harry looked at Ginny helplessly, not knowing how to say it. Ginny laid a gentle hand on his shoulder before turning back to the kids. "This isn't an easy thing to say, but we came here to tell you we're getting a divorce."

Silence reigned for a beat as the kids each processed what had just been said. Al sagged in relief that he no longer had to keep the secret from his siblings. James stared at them blankly before balling his hands into fists and flushing in anger. Lily stared straight ahead, almost like she hadn't heard, until a few tears slipped out of the corner of her eyes. "We wanted you to be the first to know. We're both very sad that it's come to this, but we don't see any alternative."

"Bollocks!" James yelled, leaping out of his chair. "If you really wanted to you could fix this, but you're just giving up!"

Harry felt a lump form in his throat and heard Ginny sniffle beside him. "I'm so sorry, Jamie, but it's just not in the cards for us," she said quietly.

"But why the bloody hell not? Did one of you fuck someone else?" James demanded.

Harry felt his insides freeze and refused to meet his son's eyes. "No, nothing like that. We grew up, and we grow apart. It happens. Neither of us have been happy together for awhile, but we never really acknowledged it because we were so busy with you lot," Harry responded calmly, neither he nor Ginny feeling the need to scold their oldest for his choice of language.

"And we'll still be a family. Your father and I are parting on good terms. We may be sad about it, but we are in agreement and will be civil," Ginny added.

James sighed and sat back into his chair. "Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm just upset."

"Us too," Ginny said sympathetically.

Everyone was silent for a moment until there was a loud sob from Lily. Immediately, she had everyone surrounding her in a group hug. Being the youngest and the only girl meant that everyone had always been quick to comfort her whenever anything went wrong. They continued to stand all together, hugging for a few more moments before they slowly parted. Harry surveyed his children helplessly. He knew they were upset, and there was absolutely nothing he could say or do to make it better. James cleared his throat quietly before beginning tentatively, "I'm glad that you told us first, but I think I speak for all of us when I say we're upset. Maybe we just need some time to process this?" He looked around at his siblings who both nodded in agreement.

"That's completely fine. If you feel the need to talk about anything please owl or ask the Headmistress to use her Floo," Ginny urged.

The three nodded once more, all making their way to their parents for one last hug. James was the first to leave, followed closely by Lily. Albus lingered for a moment, surveying his father. "Did you need something, sweetheart?" Ginny asked, kissing him on the temple.

Al bit his lip before responding, "I'd kind of like to talk to Dad if that's alright."

"Absolutely. I'll just wait for you at the Three Broomsticks," Ginny addressed Harry.

"Alright, I'll be there soon." Ginny made her way to the Floo, and a minute later she was gone. Harry sat down in one of the chairs, gesturing for Al to do the same. "What's up, Al?"

"Well, um, the thing is, I, erm, kind of have a date tonight," he stuttered.

Harry's face broke into a large grin. "That's great, Al! Who is the lucky guy?"

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Why on earth would I be mad?"

"Well, his name is Theo, and he's um named after his father."

Harry stared at his son blankly for a moment before the pieces clicked into place. "Theo Nott's son." Al nodded. "Theo Nott and Pansy Nott née Parkinson's son." Al nodded once again, biting his lip nervously once again. "Oh, Al, I'm not mad. Anything that may have happened between his parents and I is ancient history. Since that time, you befriended a Malfoy and I'm practically dating one. If I can put that history behind me, I can put all of my school day animosity behind me."

Al beamed at his father and gave him a big hug. "Thanks, Dad! I really didn't want you to be mad." Harry chuckled and hugged his son back. When Scorpius pulled away from him, he was smirking. "So practically dating a Malfoy, huh?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Harry couldn't help the thrilled laugh that escaped his mouth. "Yes, there has been no conversations about our relationship just yet, but I have been staying with him for the past couple days."

Al squealed in delight. "Just wait until I tell Scorpius! He'll be so excited. His dad's been so lonely for awhile now."

"Hopefully not anymore. Now I've got to go meet your mother. We're going to talk to Ron and Hermione next."

"Okay, but you have to promise to keep me updated on the Mr. Malfoy situation."

"If there are any new developments, we will owl you and Scorpius, but only if you keep me updated on your date."

"Daaaaaaad," Al whined in embarrassment.

"Alright, alright. We'll keep you updated either way. Have fun tonight."

"You too," Al answered with another smirk.

With one more hug, Harry made his way to the Floo, a slight bounce in his step from talking about Draco. He was glad he had a chance to talk to his son. It helped his mood immensely, and he definitely needed some happiness before going to talk to his best friends, one of whom just happened to be his soon to be ex-wife's protective, older brother.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate Christmas! I managed to find time to write sooner than I thought so here you are.

 **Chapter 26**

"Everything alright?" Ginny asked when Harry joined her at the Three Broomsticks.

"He wanted to talk about his date this evening," Harry responded with a small twitch of his lips. "With Theo Nott and Pansy Parkinson's son. He wanted to make sure it was okay with me, which of course I said it was."

Ginny gaped at Harry. "If someone would have told me when I was 16 that one day my son's best friend would be a Malfoy and he would be going on dates with a Nott, I probably would've refused to have children," she laughed lightly, shaking her head in disbelief.

Harry chuckled along with her. "We've come a long way since the war."

Ginny nodded and answered in a small voice, "Moving on doesn't have to be all bad." She was lost in thought for a minute before remembering herself. "Ready to go deal with my brother now?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Harry said with a shrug, trying not to betray how anxious he was on the inside. He had a feeling that Ginny was just as nervous and could tell that he felt the same way.

The pair looked at each other for a moment before nodding briefly. "They're expecting us so let's go."

A few moments later the couple found themselves sitting in Ron and Hermione's living room, nervously sipping on tea. "So what brings the two of you over?" Hermione asked, giving Ginny and Harry a concerned look.

The pair exchanged glances, neither of them wanting to be the one to break the news. Harry sighed in defeat as Ginny managed to convey with her eyes that it was his turn to do some talking as she had been the one to actually tell the kids. Harry turned to face his best friends, heart beating erratically in his chest. "Well there's no easy way to say this, but before I say anything I just have one request. Please just let me get through it, and please try not to freak out too much."

Hermione's concern deepened. "Of course," she said matter-of-factly. Harry gave Ron a pleading look. He looked skeptical for a moment but eventually nodded in agreement.

Harry took a deep breath to steady himself and then began. "Over the last couple of months, Ginny and I have been having some problems. As time has gone by, it has become increasingly obvious that we're not happy anymore. We haven't been for awhile, but we were so caught up in the kids that it wasn't as apparent. Because of this, we have mutually decided that a divorce is the best option for us and our family," he finished. Harry was proud of himself for making it through the whole thing without his voice obviously wavering. He met Ron's eyes in an attempt to assess his reaction. The other man glared back at him, his face a bright red and eyes narrowed with a murderous glint to them. Harry gulped and thanked Merlin for Hermione, who, although she looked paler than usual and visibly upset, had a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder. That hand was most likely the only thing keeping Ron from hexing Harry's brains out.

Ginny turned to her brother to add, "Ron, I know that you're not going to be happy about this, but it really was a mutual decision. Neither of us is happy. Don't you want your little sister and your best friend to be happy, even if it means we have to get a divorce to accomplish it?"

Ron softened a miniscule amount. "Of course I want you to be happy, Gin, but I don't understand why it can't be with Harry. What the bloody hell did that prat do to you?" he bit out, continuing to glare at Harry who was studiously avoiding his eyes. Hermione began to murmur soft reassurances into Ron's ear and moved the hand on his shoulder to rub his back.

"'That prat' as you so elegantly put it just happens to be your best friend, and I just told you he didn't do anything! We aren't happy so we're getting a divorce," Ginny snapped in frustration. She felt like she was sixteen years old again when all her older brothers seemed to think they had any say in her dating life.

"You can't divorce my baby sister! I simply won't allow it, you bloody bastard!" Ron roared at Harry.

Harry winced. This was decidedly not going as well as telling the children. "Mate, I know this isn't what you expected. It's certainly not what Ginny and I expected when we got married, but we've given this some time and we've made our decision," Harry informed him with a lot more confidence than he felt.

"Given this some time have you? Been planning on walking out on my little sister for awhile now have you?" Ron snapped.

Ginny sighed in frustration. "No, Ronald. There have been signs for a long time, and for the past several days we have been apart to really think about things. The time has only cemented the decision for both of us."

Harry felt his heart sink at her words and a knot form in his stomach. The moment she had said that they had been apart, he had seen a spark of something in Hermione's eye, and before she even opened her mouth he knew he was screwed. "Well, if you've been apart the past several days, where has Harry been staying? I was just round to your house yesterday, and Ginny was there. It's obviously not at any of the family's houses as we would have heard. You know none of you lot could keep a secret this big. And if he were at a hotel the press would have had a field day. Where have you been, Harry?" Hermione asked, curious as always.

Harry knew that his best friend was simply curious and observant by nature, and she wasn't trying to catch him out. Regardless, Harry knew he was in trouble. The panic on his face had to be evident now, as all three occupants of the room turned to stare at him: Hermione with curiosity, Ron with suspicion, and Ginny with pity. He considered lying for a fleeting moment but immediately dismissed the idea. He knew his face said too much, and Hermione would never fall for a lie at this point. He gulped and opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He tried this a few more times, each time failing to get any sound out. "Where the fuck were you?" Ron yelled, jumping to his feet. He had always been a bit oblivious, but even he could tell that what was about to come out of Harry's mouth wasn't going to be good.

Harry met Hermione's eyes, noting the apologetic look that was forming as she realized that her curiosity was about to cause quite the problem for Harry. "I've been staying at Draco Malfoy's," he finally responded, his voice nothing louder than a whisper.

There was one blissful moment of calm before all hell broke loose. Ginny and Hermione both reached for their wands, presumably in an attempt to stop Ron from causing Harry any physical harm. The two witches weren't fast enough, however, given Ron's Auror training. He had them disarmed almost immediately before turning on Harry. He grabbed him by the collar of his t-shirt and hauled him to his feet. "You had better have a damn good explanation for staying with _Malfoy_ ," he hissed dangerously in Harry's face, almost spitting out the last word in disgust.

Harry swallowed thickly, his only comfort that the two women were close behind Ron keeping an eye on things. "He and I are getting to know one another," he responded, trying his hardest to avoid the piece of information that would really enrage the other man.

Ron, still holding onto Harry's collar, stared at his best friend. "You wouldn't look this guilty and panicked if you two were just mates. So help me, Harry, if you are fucking Malfoy…" he trailed off menacingly.

Harry looked down at this shoes, bracing himself for what was about to come. "We haven't fucked yet, but we plan on pursuing a relationship." The next thing he knew, Harry felt a great amount of pain blossoming on his left cheek from where Ron's fist had connected. The other man, who had a good 4 inches of height on Harry, landed another punch, this time in Harry's stomach, causing him to sink to his knees. Ron was about to launch himself on top of Harry, but Ginny and Hermione had managed to restrain him.

"Get the fuck out of my house! Not only are you leaving my sister, but you're leaving her for that ex-Death Eater ferret-faced piece of scum. Get the bloody fuck out of my house, and don't you dare show your face in here again, Harry Potter! If you ever do, you'll wish you would've stayed dead when Voldemort killed you. I wish you would have!" Ron looked as though he was trying to keep screaming, but one of the women must have hit him with a Silencing Spell.

Harry sat on the floor in shock, staring at his best friend, if he could even still call him that anymore. "Harry, I think it's best if you go," Hermione suggested quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder and helping him to his feet. "You know how Ron is. Just give him some time, yeah? I'll owl you later."

Harry nodded mutely, not trusting his voice. He glanced at Ginny briefly who gave him a sympathetic smile and mouthed that she too would owl him later. With that Harry grasped his wand tightly and Disapparated with a pop, arriving a split second later in Draco's front room.

"Harry? Is that you?" he heard Draco's voice call from the study, but he couldn't answer. A moment later he heard footsteps getting closer to him. "Hello?"

When Draco came into view, Harry felt his despair lessen minutely, and the other man picked up his pace when he saw the state of him. "Harry! What happened?" he exclaimed in obvious concern, grabbing Harry's face. It wasn't until Draco started wiping away tears that he even realized he was crying. "Oh, Harry, come here." Draco pulled the dark haired man into his arms, and Harry was more than compliant. He buried his face in Draco's chest and began sobbing in earnest. Draco rubbed his back and mumbled soothingly. When Harry seemed to calm down slightly he asked again, "What happened?"

"Ron," was all Harry was able to gasp out before he broke into a fresh round of sobs against Draco's chest. Draco, sensing that talking was not an option for awhile, Apparated the pair up to the bedroom and pulled Harry into bed with him. Then he simply held Harry and let him cry until his tears subsided and his breathing evened out, indicating the poor man had cried himself to sleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites! :)

 **Chapter 27**

Harry woke up sometime later to a soft whisper and a tickle in his ear. "Haaarry," Draco whispered again, placing a light kiss on the aforementioned man's ear. Harry shivered slightly and attempted to pull the comforter over his head. He groaned in frustration when the comforter was pulled out of his reach.

"Dracoooo," he whined, cracking one eye open to give Draco the evil eye.

Draco ruffled his hair affectionately, giving him a sympathetic look. "I know. Believe me, I was quite enjoying watching you sleep, but alas you have company," Draco informed him with a dramatic sigh.

Harry giggled quietly and pulled himself into a sitting position. "Who's here?" he asked.

"Hermione," Draco replied, his voice flat so as not to betray his feelings on the matter. "I can send her away if you'd like."

"No, it's alright. I'll go talk to her." He stretched and dragged himself out of bed. "Come with me?" he added with a pleading look.

Draco didn't respond at first but eventually nodded reluctantly. He walked over to kiss Harry briefly before grabbing his hand and leading him towards the stairs. He paused abruptly at the top of them and pulled Harry into a hug. "I don't know what happened, but everything's going to be okay," he murmured into the top of Harry's head.

Harry smiled and mumbled against his chest, "Thanks."

The pair then made their way downstairs, Harry making sure to put some space between them as they approached the study. When they entered, Hermione jumped to her feet and launched herself at Harry. She gave him a tight hug. "I'm so sorry about Ron," she said quietly as she stepped away from him. Harry felt a lump form in his throat and just nodded silently. "Oh, Harry, you look awful."

Harry glanced at his reflection in the mirror mounted above the fireplace. Hermione was right; he looked dreadful. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot, his hair was an even bigger mess than usual, and his cheeks were stained with tear tracks. He shrugged self-consciously. "I'm fine," he mumbled.

Hermione's face conveyed the fact that she didn't believe him one bit, but she didn't comment. Her eyes flitted uncertainly to Draco but also refrained from commenting on his presence. "I was hoping we could finish our conversation from earlier," Hermione said gently.

"There's not much else to say. Ginny and I are through. I had decided that long before anything happened with Draco. We were both miserable, Mione. We spent all our time the last few months either screaming at each other or not talking at all," Harry responded sadly.

"So something did happen with Dr-Draco then?" she demanded, only stumbling over his given name a little bit. Her eyes flicked to the blond man once again.

Harry's face fell guiltily. "We snogged a few times before I talked to Ginny about the divorce."

Hermione gave him a disapproving look, but she didn't comment. "I knew it," she muttered to herself before adding out loud, "How did Ginny take it? She stuck around to assure us that she was okay with the divorce, but I didn't want to ask about the other part in front of my darling husband."

"She laughed hysterically," Harry informed her with a small smile. "And then lamented that she hadn't figured it out herself because it made so much sense."

Hermione chuckled along with Harry. "She has a point. All that obsessing and stalking at Hogwarts."

"There was no stalking!" Harry sputtered indignantly.

Hermione gave him a pointed look. "Really? Sixth year with the constant checking of the Map?"

Harry felt himself flush in embarrassment. "Map? What map?" Draco cut in curiously.

Hermione's face contorted into a smirk fit for a Slytherin. "You don't know about the Marauder's Map?" Draco shook his head. "Well, Harry's father and some of his friends made this map while they were at Hogwarts. It was a map of the whole castle, and it showed where everyone was at all times. Sixth year in particular, Harry made sure to keep an eye on you."

Draco turned to face Harry, a look of disbelief on his face. "You stalked me while we were at school!" he accused.

Harry felt himself get even more red. "Don't flatter yourself. I had to make sure you weren't up to anything too nefarious, like bullying first years," he joked, the conversation getting too close to uncomfortable terrain for Harry's taste.

Draco smirked in response. "Deep down you know it was my dashing good looks," he replied haughtily.

"There may have been some dreams that support that theory."

Both Hermione and Draco gaped at him in shock. Hermione recovered first. "I never thought I would say this, but you two are kinda cute together."

"We will re-vist that topic later," Draco informed Harry, grabbing his hand and dropping a kiss on it. "And yes we are quite cute, aren't we?" This was directed at Hermione.

"I may not approve of how this all happened, but as long as Harry and Ginny are happy that's what matters," Hermione said, squeezing Harry's shoulder. "You better take care of him, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded. "I'll do you one better. I won't just take care of him; I'll spoil him," Draco responded seriously.

Hermione gave him a gentle smile and turned back to Harry. "I came over here to finish our conversation, but I also wanted to warn you that Ron told Molly and Arthur about earlier."

Harry felt his heart sink into his stomach. "What did they say?" he inquired in a small voice. Draco, sensing the tension rolling off of Harry in waves, put an arm around him and let Harry lean over against his chest.

Hermione hesitated slightly. "They didn't take it very well. They didn't take it as poorly as Ron did, but they're disappointed. I suppose that was expected. Ron also told them about Draco, and they were pretty upset about that. Arthur was ready to march over here and demand Draco tell him what spell you were under, but Ginny talked him off the ledge. I'm sure you'll be getting an owl soon though."

Harry sighed. It wasn't as bad as it could've been, but he wasn't sure he was equipped to deal with this at that moment. "At least Ginny was able to calm them down."

"Harry, I know things aren't great right now, but everything will be okay. Ron will calm down and come around eventually. And Molly and Arthur will see how happy you are and how much happier Ginny is, and they'll get on board eventually. How'd the kids take it?"

"I hope you're right, Hermione. The kids were alright. Albus already knew, and he's even a little excited about it. James was mad at first, but he calmed down a bit before we left. Lily cried. Merlin, what a bloody mess."

"You've just got to give people time," Hermione reassured. "Things will get better." Draco gave Harry a squeeze in comfort and agreement of what Hermione was saying. "I have to get going. I didn't want to tell Ron where I was going, and the last thing I need is for him coming to look for me."

Harry nodded and went to get up. "No, no. I can see myself out. You look quite comfortable," Hermione insisted with a playful smile.

"I am quite comfortable," Harry responded tilting his head back to look at Draco. "Thanks for stopping by, Hermione. It means a lot to me."

"I'll see you later, Harry."

"Bye, Hermione." She then made her way towards the Floo in the front room.

"You wanna talk about it?" Draco asked quietly, brushing some hair off of his forehead.

Harry shook his head. "Not yet."

"Well in that case, tell me more about these dreams," Draco responded, waggling his eyebrows teasingly.

Harry laughed, glad Draco was around to help him take his mind off of things. To show his gratitude, he turned himself around and met the other man's lips in a heated kiss.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** This chapter isn't one of my favorites, but it's written so now I can move on!Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites! :)

 **Chapter 28**

A week later, Harry had not heard from any of the Weasleys, except for another brief visit from Hermione and a Howler from Molly that Harry had locked in a closet and put a Silencing Charm on before it exploded so he didn't have to hear it. Harry had considered writing to the elder Weasleys or Ron to try and smooth things over, but he had decided it against it. Draco had encouraged him to give it some time as well, and it was hard for Harry to ignore the other man's advice, particularly when the advice was whispered in his ear, Draco's sinful mouth nibbling at his earlobe in the process.

Currently, Harry was sitting at the desk in Draco's bedroom, composing a letter to Albus. He had promised to keep his son updated, and now seemed as good a time as any. Draco was out at some business meeting. Harry had taken some time off of work to adjust to everything and if he was honest, to avoid Ron.

Harry sighed in frustration and looked down at his letter. He didn't know what to say to his son. He knew that Al and Scorpius were both very curious about what was going on with Draco and him, but he didn't know what to say. Everytime he started writing about the relationship, he ended up gushing. As much as his son was happy for him, Harry was very certain that he didn't want to hear too much about his love life. In addition, he wasn't sure exactly what to call their relationship. They hadn't had a discussion about where things were going, and he wasn't divorced yet. If Harry was completely frank, he was a little concerned about labelling it. He definitely wanted to have Draco all to himself, but he had his reservations. For one, Harry had been married for practically his entire adult life, and he had no idea how to date anymore. For two, his marriage had just ended, and part of him was worried that it was too soon to get involved with someone. And finally, it was starting to sinking in that if Draco and he were to officially become a couple, Harry would have a _boyfriend._ Just thinking the word made his heart beat faster in both excitement and anxiety.

Harry was shaken out of his thoughts by the tapping of a beak on the window. He looked up and was surprised to see Puff zipping around excitedly. Harry shook his head in amusement and opened the window to let the little bird in. He grabbed the letter off of his leg and patted the enthusiastic bird on the head. He gave him a treat and unrolled the letter.

 _Hi Harry,_

 _Hope things are going well. I'm writing you to let you know that I have set up a meeting with my solicitor tomorrow at 3pm at our house to discuss the terms of the divorce. If all goes well, we can have the papers signed by the end of the week. I hope you don't mind my setting this up. I just think it's for the best that we get this over with and move on._

 _See you soon,_

 _Ginny_

Harry scribbled a quick note to let Ginny know that he would be there and as he scribbled he realized his handwriting was worse than normal. That is when he realized his hand was shaking. He knew this was for the best, but it had suddenly hit him how real everything was. By the end of the week he would be divorced. He thought he would be a little more excited, but instead he just felt a little numb. He attached the note to Puff's leg,, sent the bird on his way, and then shuffled his way to the bed. He laid on his back and stared at the ceiling, not quite sure what to do with himself.

Some indeterminate amount of time later, Harry heard Draco making his way up the stairs, his footsteps getting louder as he approached the bedroom. "Harry?" he called gently from the doorway. "Everything okay?"

Harry turned his head to look at the other man and shrugged. Draco frowned in concern, slipped off his shoes, and slid into bed next to Harry, pulling the other man closer to him until his head was resting on Draco's chest. Draco stroked Harry's back in silence, simply enjoying the feel of the other man in his arms. After a few more moments of silence, Harry finally spoke up. "I'm meeting with Ginny and her solicitor tomorrow to talk about the…divorce," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Harry felt Draco stiffen slightly underneath his head, but the hand rubbing Harry's back didn't falter. "You want the divorce, but everything suddenly seems so real. You thought you'd be happy, but you're not and it's confusing and overwhelming and a bit scary," Draco said evenly.

Harry snapped his head up to look at Draco in surprise. "How did you know? I haven't been able to wrap my head around what I'm feeling, but you just hit the nail on the head!" Harry exclaimed in shock.

Draco smiled cryptically and brushed some of the hair out of Harry's eyes. "I know exactly how you're feeling. It's the same way that I felt when I was in the middle of my divorce," he explained. "Once the papers were signed, and I had a day or two to adjust the relief set in."

Harry sighed contentedly, feeling instantly better that Draco understood him. "And you didn't have a sexy man to comfort you after the papers were signed. I'll be back to my old self in no time." Harry felt Draco tense once again, much more noticeably than the first time. "What?"

"Well," Draco began with a sheepish look.

Harry peeked up at the man above him curiously, and then it clicked. "You did have a sexy man to comfort you…" he said, attempting to keep the emotion out of his voice. He had no right to care, and yet he felt his heart sink.

Draco nodded curtly. "Let me tell you about him," he suggested with a playful smirk.

"I don't think that's necessary."

Draco's smirk widened. "I think it is."

Harry huffed. "Fine, if you must."

"His name was Harold, he had dark, brown hair and bright, green eyes," Draco informed him, his smirk turning into a smile.

Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. "You're lying." Draco shook his head. "You've really got it bad, don't you?" Harry teased.

Draco's smile widened as he nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I think I might," he agreed and pulled Harry down for a playful kiss.

Harry's eyes darkened as he looked up at the gorgeous man with whom he was entangled. "I think we might be on the same page," he murmured against Draco's lips.

Draco pulled him into a hug. "What do you say we take your mind off everything and go get some dinner?" he suggested.

As if on cue, Harry's stomach growled, causing the dark haired man to flush in embarrassment. "Works for me," he said with a shrug.

Draco chuckled and slid off the bed. "Well then, put on something nice. I'm taking you out on the town."

"Oh yeah?" Harry asked nonchalantly, his heart speeding up in apprehension. He wasn't sure he was ready for the public's opinion yet.

"Yes. There's this place in Muggle London that is to die for, and there's very little chance of running into anyone we don't wish to see."

Harry felt himself relax, happy that Draco had thought of everything.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** A little plot and a lot of smut...enjoy ;)

 **Chapter 29**

A few days later, Harry found himself back at the desk in Draco's bedroom, holding the divorce papers that Ginny had already signed. The meeting with the solicitor had gone as seamlessly as possible. They had essentially split everything down the middle with Ginny getting the house. It was the one thing that she had asked for, and Harry couldn't bring himself to deny her. He didn't particularly want the house anyway, but it did mean that he would have to start looking for a flat to move into. The hardest part had been discussing what to do with the children when they were home from Hogwarts. It was easy enough to come to a decision, but it was difficult for Harry to come to terms with the dissolution of his family. They had decided to let the children choose where to stay during breaks and switch between the two houses whenever they wanted. They were all old enough to have a say in the matter. For holidays, they had decided to celebrate all together as a family. It had been Ginny's idea, and Harry was thrilled. He would have suggested something similar, but he didn't want to make Ginny feel as if she had to agree even if she was uncomfortable with the idea. All in all, it was probably the least dramatic divorce in the history of the world. And it was almost over for good.

Harry stared down at the line that was intended for his signature and reflected on his marriage. He and Ginny had had so many good times over the year, from their early carefree days right after the war was over, to Harry's romantic proposal and the subsequent jovial wedding, to the birth of all three of their children. There would always be a part of him that loved Ginny and would be eternally grateful for the family she had helped him create. They had three amazing kids who Harry could only hope would eventually get used to the divorce and be okay with everything, particularly Harry's future partners. He was confident that if he gave them enough time, things would work out. The waiting was just difficult.

"What are you staring at so intently?" came an amused voice from behind Harry. He turned around to see Draco leaning casually against the doorframe, smiling contentedly.

"The papers," Harry said evenly.

Recognition flashed through Draco's eyes, but his smile never wavered. "Now the concentration makes sense," he replied lightly.

Harry nodded absentmindedly as he fully brought himself back into the present. He then determinedly picked up a quill, dipped it into the ink, and signed his name. And then before the situation could fully sink in, he rolled up the papers and attached them to the leg of the Ministry owl that had sent them. He gave the bird a treat and sent it on its way. "Well, it's done," Harry announced, turning back around to face Draco.

"Well, Potter, you're a single man now," Draco said with a playful smirk. "How would you like to celebrate?"

Harry stared thoughtfully off into space as he considered how to answer the question. Maybe it was the way that Draco was leaning so casually, completely relaxed and utterly gorgeous. Or maybe it was the way that his hair fell into his face, soft blond tendrils covering one of his eyes. Or maybe it was the feeling of freedom that was slowly sinking in now that the papers were signed. Maybe it was a combination of everything. Either way, Harry knew exactly what he wanted.

Harry must have taken too long to respond because Draco broke into his thoughts. "Or we don't have to celebrate. I understand if you want some time alone to process everything," he offered, somewhat awkwardly, as he crossed the room and laid a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder.

Harry shook his head. "No, sorry, just lost in thought. I know exactly how I want to celebrate," Harry replied, locking his eyes with Draco's.

"Oh really? And what would you like?" Draco asked curiously.

"You," Harry stated matter-of-factly, his voice dropping lower and his eyes darkening, making it impossible to misinterpret his true meaning.

Draco's eyes widened almost imperceptibly in surprise. "A-are you sure?" he stammered, obviously not at all expecting his response.

Harry cleared his throat self-consciously but nodded. "On one condition."

"What's that?"

Harry looked down at his hands and began to fidget nervously. He took a deep breath and lifted his head once again. "I don't want this to be a one time thing or some sort of fling. I like you, and I'd really like to give this a real shot. I know that I literally just signed the papers, but I know this is what I want," Harry said in a rush and dropped his eyes down to his hands once again.

A moment later, Harry felt Draco lift his chin before leaning down and pulling Harry's lips up to his. He wrapped his arms around Harry and nudged him into a standing position. "Yes," the blond man breathed against Harry's lips. "Please."

That was enough for Harry. They would need to have an actual conversation later on, but for now they had much more important things to be doing with their mouths. Harry felt a surge of arousal as Draco slid his tongue into the brunette's mouth and tangled one hand in his hair. Harry stepped forward, making sure that even inch of his body was pressed up against Draco's, making the blond man gasp into their kiss.

The pair continued kissing for how long Harry didn't know before Draco pulled back slightly and began to kiss from the corner of Harry's mouth, down his jaw, and to his neck. "Bed," Harry moaned as Draco nipped lightly at his pulse point.

Draco nodded against his neck and began backing up, leading Harry to the bed. When the back of Draco's knees came into contact with the bed, he turned them around and lightly pushed Harry onto his back. Harry wiggled his way up the bed and gave Draco a heated a look. Draco pulled his shirt over his head before joining Harry on the bed, straddling his hips and hovering above him. Harry looked up at the gorgeous man on top of him and suddenly felt unsure of himself. "I-I have no idea what I'm doing," he choked out with a self-conscious chuckle.

Draco's expression morphed from one of pure lust to one of reassurance. He reached down to cup Harry's face gently and pecked him lightly on the nose. "I know, and we can stop at any point," he assured.

Harry shook his head. "No, I want this," he asserted. "But I may need a little guidance." Harry could feel his cheeks heating up in slight embarrassment.

Draco rolled onto his side and slung an arm across Harry's waist. "I can do that," said with a smile. "Do you want to top?"

Harry felt his entire body flush. It was like being a blushing virgin all over again, and it was wildly uncomfortable, particularly at his age. "Do you, um, usually top or bottom?" Harry asked, his voice cracking.

Draco shrugged. "I enjoy both. I'll do whatever you're comfortable with."

Harry cleared his throat in embarrassment. "Then y-yeah, er, I'll, um, top," he stuttered, resisting the urge to bury his head in Draco's shoulder. "I'm sorry I'm acting like such a bloody teenager."

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "I think it's adorable, but seriously we don't have to do anything tonight."

Harry growled and rolled over so that he was straddling Draco's hips. "If you say that one more time," he threatened, the rest getting cut off in a blood boiling kiss.

Within a few minutes the pair had managed to undress each other, all the while keeping their lips in contact as much as possible. They were currently both in their boxers, Harry nipping at Draco's neck and sliding his burgeoning erection against Draco's, eliciting a sinful moan every so often. Draco slid his hands down Harry's back and lower to squeeze his arse causing Harry to gasp in pleasure. He then began to kiss his way down Draco's chest, his hands ghosting down his sides until he reached the waistband of his boxers. Harry then grabbed said waistband and pushed down the garment that was most definitely in his way. Draco lifted his hips to make it easier for Harry to remove them and kicked them off when they reached his feet.

Harry paused for a moment, attempting to gather as much confidence as possible, before he slowly lowered his mouth to Draco's hard member, maintaining eye contact the entire time. Draco's hair was mussed from all the snogging, and his pupils were blown wide with lust. Harry smirked inwardly, thrilled that he could elicit such a response from the other man. He then tentatively took Draco's erection into his mouth. It was an new feeling, having a cock in his mouth, but not an entirely unpleasant one, particularly because said cock was attached to an amazing, sexy man.

Harry traced the length of the other man's erection lightly with his tongue, causing all sorts of delicious noises to fall from Draco's lips. When he reached the head, he closed his mouth around it and sucked, a beautiful moan breaking the silence in the room. Harry continued to experiment with techniques, gaining confidence the more reaction he received from Draco. After several minutes, Draco grabbed his hair lightly, pulling him back from his task. Harry looked up at him inquisitively. "Don't want to finish that way," Draco gasped in explanation.

Harry nodded in understanding and found himself slightly at a loss of what to do. Draco reached over to his bedside table and pulled a small container of lube out of the drawer and handed it to Harry. "Do you want to do it or would you like me to?"

Harry bit his lip, an image of Draco writhing in pleasure, his own fingers thrusting in and out of his tight entrance. Harry moaned slightly at the idea but quickly cleared the thoughts. For this time, he wanted to be involved. "I'll do it," he responded, reaching for the lube and coating his index finger. He slowly pushed this finger into Draco's entrance, his other hand lightly groping his balls with a lot more confidence than he felt. He watched his lover's face closely, looking for any indication that what he was doing was working.

"Hey," Draco said quietly, reaching out to rub one of Harry's arms. "You're doing great. Just relax."

Harry nodded and focussed on the task at hand. He continued to use his index finger to explore Draco. After a moment of indecision, he slid a second finger in next to the first. He heard Draco's breath catch in his throat making Harry stop all movement immediately and snap his head up to evaluate Draco's face. The other man had his eyes shut, his mouth falling open slightly in what Harry hoped was pleasure. "More," Draco groaned.

Harry snapped into action and continued to move his two fingers, eliciting moans from Draco. Harry soon found when he hit a certain spot inside of him, Draco let out a loud moan that sent blood rushing to Harry's groin. Harry began to move faster and scissor his fingers, working mostly on instinct at this point, before sliding a third finger in. The more he watched his fingers disappear into Draco and the more the blond man moaned, the more desperate Harry was to bury himself in his tight heat. "Harry," Draco moaned. "Now, please."

That was all the encouragement that Harry needed. He quickly got more lube and covered his erection. Without thinking too much, he hooked Draco's legs on his shoulders and lined himself up. He paused for just a second to take in the situation. Draco was sprawled under him, staring at him with his intense grey eyes and breathing heavily in lust. Harry pushed forward, carefully breaching the ring of tight muscle. He slowly continued until he was fully seated inside of Draco, his head spinning with pleasure. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this good.

Draco moaned, encouraging him to begin to move. Harry pulled out all the way before thrusting back in and building into a steady rhythm. He was moaning and letting out a steady stream of nonsense that consisted mostly of "Draco," "so tight," and "gorgeous." He was so lost in pleasure that he was only vaguely aware of Draco's moans and gasps. He felt his orgasm building steadily in his lower belly and picked up the pace. Before he knew it, Harry was enveloped in one of the best orgasms of his life, his vision exploding with stars and cum filling the man underneath him.

When most of the pleasure had faded, Harry became acutely aware that in his ecstasy he had been ignoring Draco's erection. He slowly slid out and enveloped the blond man's cock in his mouth, trying to replicate the techniques that elicited the most response earlier. Within minutes Draco was squirming under him, clasping his hands together in an attempt not to force Harry's head down further. "G-gonna cum. If you don't want...oh Merlin," Draco babbled almost incoherently.

Harry pushed all the way down so that Draco's cock was all the way down his throat and felt the other man convulse in pleasure beneath him as he moaned loudly. A moment later, Harry tasted bitter, salty fluid on his tongue and felt the warm liquid slide down his throat. It was certainly a new experience, but it was one that Harry found he thoroughly enjoyed.

Once Draco's shudders had stopped, Harry slid him out of his mouth and settled down on his back next to Draco. Draco turned to face Harry and casually slung an arm across his chest, kissing him gently on the cheek. "That was brilliant," he whispered, tracing Harry's ear with his tongue.  
Harry couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face and turned to face his lover. "For me. I completely forgot about you in the middle there. Terrible," he muttered with a shake of the head.

"Hey," Draco chided. "I wouldn't lie to you. You just got lost in the moment, and it was quite a turn on."

Harry smiled in delight. "Well next time I'll try to get a little less lost."

Draco smiled back and leaned in to capture his lips in a chaste kiss. "Sounds perfect. We'll have plenty of time to practice."

They lay there in content silence for awhile before Harry cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "Well, now that I'm divorced, and Ginny is keeping the house, I should probably start looking for a flat."

"You can look for a flat tomorrow. Tonight, I want you all to myself."

"Well, I suppose I deserve a night to celebrate," Harry acquiesced.

"Absolutely, and then tomorrow I will bring you breakfast in bed and a copy of the _Prophet_ so that you can start to look for flats," Draco informed him, nuzzling his head into Harry's neck.

"That sounds perfect. Thank you for everything," Harry whispered, his head swimming with emotion.

"Anything for you," Draco responded, pulling their lips together in a sweet kiss before pulling them both out of bed to get dressed. They headed down to the kitchen where Draco prepared a romantic dinner for the two of them. The couple spent the evening eating, drinking wine, and simply enjoying each other's company.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** This chapter kind of took on a mind of its own, but I like how it turned out. Not sure how many chapters there will be, but probably only 2-3 more, plus an epilogue.

 **Chapter 30**

The next several weeks passed relatively uneventfully for Harry. He was able to find a modest, two bedroom flat near the Ministry less than a week after the divorce papers were signed and moved in shortly after. It didn't quite feel like home yet, but it was getting there. It would probably feel more like home if he actually managed to sleep there every night of the week, but there were at least a couple nights a week that were spent at Draco's. The two of them had fallen into a comfortable relationship very easily, typically either making dinner at the Manor or going out somewhere in Muggle London. They hadn't braved the Wizarding world together just yet, mostly because of Harry's family. He had still yet to talk to James and Lily about the relationship, and he hadn't heard from any of the Weasleys since the blow-up with Ron. Tomorrow, however, was the day that the kids came home for Easter break, and he intended on speaking with his kids then. He and Draco had kept in close contact with Al and Scorpius, usually writing a joint letter, since they had officially began their relationship.

Harry and Ginny had decided to meet at their old house before Apparating to King's Cross together to pick up the kids to make things as normal as possible. Both James and Lily had elected to stay with Ginny for the break, as Harry had expected. Albus had decided to stay with Harry at his new flat with a cheeky comment about being excited to spend part of his break with his best friend. Harry had been slightly mortified at how much his son had inferred, but Draco had simply smirked and laughed at Harry's discomfort, giving Albus props for figuring things out.

Harry had just finished a Floo call with Ginny confirming the plans for tomorrow when he heard the distinct pop of Apparition in his bedroom. There was only one person who was keyed into his wards and able to Apparate in. Harry made his way to the bedroom with a smile on his face. "Well this is a surprise," he exclaimed as he pulled his favorite ex-Slytherin in for a quick kiss.

"Yes well I was sitting at home, sipping fiirewhisky, when it hit me that I may not get to see you the whole week the children are home, and I simply couldn't bear the thought," Draco informed him with a dramatic swoon.

Harry shook his head in amusement. "You are ridiculous," he said fondly.

"After your response to Al's letter about seeing Scorpius over break, I don't think I am being all that ridiculous," Draco asserted. "Now aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Of course, Your Highness. Please, come in. Let me get you a drink," Harry offered, reaching to take Draco's outer robes.

"Much better," Draco approved. "I'll be in the living room, waiting for my drink."

Harry shook his head affectionately. He made his way into the kitchen to pour two glasses of firewhisky. "Hey, Draco, are you hungry at all? I was about to order Chinese," Harry called. Harry's flat was in a building that housed both wizards and Muggles alike. His flat came equipped with Muggle appliances, including a TV and DVD player, modified to work with magic.

"You were going to _what_?" Draco called back, sounding slightly appalled.

"Order takeaway."

A moment later, Draco appeared in the kitchen, looking scandalized. "Why would you want to do something like that?"

Harry stared at his boyfriend in confusion. "Order takeaway? I don't have much food in the house. I was planning on taking Albus shopping sometime this weekend." Draco continued to stare at him as if he wasn't making an ounce of sense. "So do you want any?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Alrighty then. I'll just order some for myself then."

"You shouldn't be ordering it either! Let me cook you dinner. I'll go buy some ingredients."  
"What are you going on about? A little takeaway is not going to kill me."

"It might," Draco mumbled.

"Wait a minute," Harry stated. "You've never had takeaway, have you?"

"Malfoys don't eat takeaway," Draco responded haughtily.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Well it's decided then. I'll order enough for the both of us, and we can eat on the couch while we watch a movie. Something else you've probably never done. A movie is a Muggle inven-"

"I know what a movie is, Potter. I'm not an idiot," Draco snapped.

Harry put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Of course you're not an idiot." He pulled the annoyed blond into hug. "Here's your drink, why don't you go wait for me on the sofa?" he suggested, dropping a kiss to the corner of Draco's mouth. "You can even pick out the movie."

Draco sniffed but didn't comment. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Harry chuckled. "Alright, I'll pick for us then."

Approximately one hour later, Harry and Draco were snuggled together on the couch, far too much Chinese food spread out on the coffee table, and _Jurassic Park_ in the DVD player. Draco was looking at all of the food wearily but had yet to make any scathing comments. "You should try some," Harry coaxed, wafting the scent towards him.

Draco wrinkled his nose. "I don't know...I suppose it smells pretty good," he acquiesced.

"That's because it is good. Drink a few more glasses of firewhisky, and it'll be even better," Harry informed him knowingly.

The pair continued with their evening, Harry scooping more food onto his plate every so often. "Alright, fine. I'll try some," Draco huffed.

Harry smiled at him and began preparing him a plate. "Glad you changed your mind. Now this an eggroll, some sweet and sour chicken, and fried rice," he explained, handing Draco the plate.

"Thanks," he responded, taking the plate, though eyeing it suspiciously. Harry watched him expectantly as Draco picked up his eggroll to take a bite. "Stop watching me like that! You're making me uncomfortable."

Harry directed his attention back to the movie, subtly watching Draco from the corner of his eye. The other man bit into the food in his hand and chewed thoughtfully. "Well?" Harry asked.

"Alright, I concede. This is bloody delicious." Harry laughed in delight, leaning over to kiss the blond next to him. "No time for kisses! I'm eating!"

Harry rolled his eyes and slipped his arm around Draco's shoulders, suddenly overcome with a wave of emotion. "Are you staying here tonight?" he inquired after a few moments of silence only broken by the sounds of Draco eating.

"That was my plan, as long as that's okay with you," Draco said, setting his empty plate down and snuggling into Harry's side.

"Of course it is. We haven't had a chance to christen my flat yet," Harry replied with a wicked grin.

"Excellent point," Draco answered before pulling Harry onto his lap and capturing his lips in a passionate kiss, full of promise of things to come.

The next morning, Harry was woken up by Draco's gentle shaking of his shoulder. He groaned in annoyance and slid one eye open. "Good morning. I brought you breakfast," Draco announced cheerfully.

Harry groaned again in response but slowly pulled himself into a sitting position. "Why are you so cheerful this morning?" he grumbled. "But thanks for breakfast."

"Anytime," Draco responded, dropping a kiss on Harry's cheek. "And I am cheerful because I get to see my son today!"

"Ah, I should've known. What time is it?"

"You have plenty of time to finish breakfast and get ready before you have to meet Ginny."

"Any time for any other _activities_ this morning?" Harry inquired, using a seductive lilt to emphasis the word 'activities.'

Draco cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Depends on how fast you finish breakfast," he answered with a smirk.

"Well I'll have to eat quickly then."

The couple ate breakfast in mostly companionable silence, sometimes one or the other breaking said silence to comment on the plan for the day. Once Harry had finished, he quickly levitated the dishes to the kitchen and turned to pounce on Draco. "Hey, I wasn't done!" Draco squawked indignantly.

"What happened to not being able to stand the thought of being apart for a week?" Harry asked with a pout.

"Good point. I'll finish breakfast while you're in the shower," Draco conceded as Harry pressed his lips against Draco's, immediately slipping his tongue into the blond man's mouth.

Harry pulled back a minute later and regarded Draco thoughtfully. "Or," he began with a predatory grin. "We could go have sex in the shower."

Draco groaned as Harry's tongue was returned to his mouth and nodded eagerly. "Merlin, yes," he gasped into the kiss.

Harry grabbed Draco's hand and dragged him off the bed. The pair made their way to the bathroom, albeit slowly due to the fact that neither was willing to break the kiss for more than a few seconds, leaving a trail of discarded clothing in their wake.


	31. Chapter 31

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Officially hit 50,000 words! Enjoy!

 **Chapter 31**

"Draco, let's go!" Harry yelled in dismay. Their shower activities had taken much longer than they had intended, and now they were on the verge of being late to meet their respective ex-wives. "We're going to be late!"

"I'll be right out! I was ready this morning until you dragged me into the shower. My hair is mess," Draco whined.

"I didn't hear you complaining earlier!" Harry pointed out.  
Draco appeared in the doorway of the bathroom a moment later. "All ready," he announced. "You simply can't rush perfection." He gave Harry a haughty smile.

Harry shook his head and chuckled affectionately. "Of course. Now go meet Astoria! She's probably already at the Manor."

"Alright, alright. But one last kiss first," he demanded with a pout.

"Bloody needy ponce," Harry murmured lightly as he pulled the blond man into what he planned to be a quick kiss, but Draco apparently had other plans. He pulled him in closer and deepened the kiss, sliding his tongue into Harry's mouth.

After a few delectable minutes, Harry pulled back and raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "What?" Draco asked innocently. "Just in case I have to wait a whole week. I'll see you at King's Cross. I'll be the one checking out your arse." With a wink, Draco Disapparated, leaving Harry alone and slightly bemused. He shook his head with a small smile and Disapparated as well, following Draco's lead.

A minute later, Harry found himself in the front hallway of his former home. "Gin? I'm here," he called.

"Oh good," Ginny responded, coming out of the kitchen and giving him a quick hug. "Just in time. How are you?"

"I'm doing well. How have you been?" Harry asked, slightly apprehensive about the answer.

Harry clearly had nothing to worry about as Ginny's face blossomed into a content smile. "Great, actually! The empty house took awhile to get used to, but it's nice to have more time to myself. I actually joined a Quidditch team. It's just for fun, but it's been great to be out on the pitch again. And I may have started seeing someone," she responded, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Good to hear, Gin! Anyone I know?" Harry teased.

Ginny's face flushed further, answering Harry's question. "Yeah, um, it's Oliver Wood," she mumbled, not meeting Harry's eyes.

"Oh, wow. That's great! You two seem like a good match."

"Thanks, Harry. How are you and Draco?"

Now it was Harry's turn to blush. "We're doing really well. Sometimes I can't believe that this is the same person that used to terrorize me at school. I think I'm going to tell James and Lily while they're home," Harry responded, trying not to gush too much.

"You look happy," Ginny commented with a smile. "I'm glad. I was planning on talking to the kids about Oliver too. Hey, why don't you come to dinner tonight so we can all spend time together, and then we can tell them together so they know that we're both okay with it?"

"Sounds like a plan!" Harry agreed happily. "Now, we should probably get to the Station."

Ginny nodded in agreement, and the pair Apparated to King's Cross. As they made their way through the crowd at Platform 9 ¾, arms linked and chatting amicably, Harry made sure to observe the crowd around them. He saw a crowd of red hair to their left and immediately turned his head the other way. His eyes met Draco's from across the platform, and he shot him a quick smile before turning to face Ginny.

Harry was listening to Ginny talk about one of her recent Quidditch matches, nodding enthusiastically and enjoying the excited smile on her face. As the pair broke out into laughter over her anecdote, there was an awkward clearing of someone's throat behind them. Harry turned around and found himself face to face with Ron, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Harry, could we maybe talk?" he asked, a hopeful expression on his face.

Harry paused for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "What can I do for you?" he asked evenly.

"I uh, wanted to apologize," Ron began, looking terribly uncomfortable. "I talked to Ginny the other day, and she was telling me about how great she's doing. I haven't seen her this happy in a long time. It turns out you both were right about what's best for you. Imagine that." He gave a slight shrug.

Harry clasped his friend on the shoulder. "It's alright. I know it came as a shock, but it really was for the best."

"You look really happy, mate."

"I am, and I know that you probably don't approve, but it has a lot to do with Draco."

Ron grimaced. "I don't know if I'll ever understand how or why it happened, but if he makes you happy then that's all that matters. Hermione says you're really great together," Ron conceded.

"Thanks, Ron. That means a lot. And don't worry, I won't make you spend time with him yet," Harry assured with a smile.

Ron smiled back. "I appreciate that, mate. I promise to make some effort, but I just need a little more time."

"I completely underst-" The rest of Harry's statement was cut off by the whistle of the Hogwarts Express pulling into the Station. "We'll talk more later, yeah? Maybe grab a pint after the kids are back at school?" Harry suggested.

Ron nodded in agreement before making his way back to his wife. Harry turned back to Ginny, who was watching him with a smile. "That looked like it went well."

"It did. How much did you have to threaten him to make that happen?" Harry asked with a teasing smile.  
Ginny smacked him lightly on the chest. "I did no such thing!" she exclaimed.

The silly debate was interrupted by the crowd of students pouring out of the Hogwarts Express. Harry scanned the group, searching for the familiar sight of his children. He glimpsed a pair of teens, one with white blond hair and one with messy, black hair. The pair hugged before going their separate ways, Albus making his way over to Harry and Ginny. Harry gave his son an enthusiastic hug, as did Ginny. The other two children appeared a moment later, hugging their mother first and then, much to Harry's relief, hugging him as well.

"You're both here!" Lily shouted in excitement.

"Of course we are! We were actually planning on having dinner at the house tonight, all of us together, if that's alright with you lot," Ginny informed them, turning her cautious gaze to their eldest. If anyone was going to protest, it would be James.

James smiled and nodded. "Sounds good. You both look happy," he said quietly. "I'm glad we can all spend time together."

Harry beamed at his family, ecstatic about the way that things had turned out so far. All his kids seemed to have adjusted to the divorce, and tonight they would all have dinner together. "Well, Al, why don't you say we head to my flat and get you settled in? Then we can meet the rest of the family at the house later this evening," Harry suggested.

Albus looked around and nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah, sounds good, Dad. I actually need to grab something from Scorpius real quick. Let's go grab it, and then we can go," he said, not meeting his father's eyes.

Ginny watched them with an amused expression on her face, snickering to herself. "Sounds like a plan. Come over anytime. Let's go, James, Lily," With that, the three of them were gone.

Harry turned to his son and cocked an eyebrow. "You need something from Scorpius?" he asked skeptically.

Albus nodded innocently. "Yes, sir. Plus I thought you might also need something from Mr. Malfoy."

Before Harry could respond, Al took off to find his friend. Harry sighed exasperatedly but smiled to himself as he followed his son. When he caught up to him, the boys were sneaking away, leaving him alone with Draco. "They are something else," Harry muttered.

Draco smirked and looked around the platform, that was now practically empty, except for a few stragglers making their way to the exit. "I must say I don't mind," he responded quietly as he leaned forward to kiss Harry.

Harry smiled into the kiss and slid his arm around Draco's neck. "I guess I don't either," he whispered into Draco's neck as he nuzzled there.

"Ooooh," came a teasing squeal to Harry's right. He lifted his head to see both of their son's watching them intently. Harry groaned and buried his head back into Draco's neck.

"Draco and Harry sitting in a tree. K-I-S-" the pair sing-songed until Draco glared at them, shutting them up.

Harry pulled back reluctantly. "Well, I guess we should go get Albus settled in. We're going over to Ginny's tonight for dinner."

"That sounds lovely. Perhaps Albus would like some company while he settles in," Draco suggested with an innocent widening of his eyes.

Harry sighed, trying to look annoyed, but he couldn't help the smile that broke out on his face. "I suppose that's up to Albus."

"I would love to have Scorpius keep me company while I unpack!" Albus called to them quickly.

Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed his son's arm. "Well then, I guess to the flat we all go," he resigned.

Draco held out his arm to Scorpius so that each boy had someone to Apparate them. "So Draco has access to your wards, huh?"

Harry groaned in mock exasperation and Disapparated in lieu of responding.


	32. Chapter 32

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Nearing the end, folks! Thanks for the reviews, follows, and favorites!

 **Chapter 32**

Once Harry, Draco, and their sons were back at Harry's flat and the boys had gotten the grand tour, Albus and Scorpius scampered off towards the spare bedroom. "We'll be in here unpacking...for at least an hour!" Albus called, a teasing tone in his voice.

"We'll make sure to make a lot of noise when we're coming out...just so you know we're coming," Scorpius added with a wicked chuckle.

Draco laughed along with his son as Harry squawked indignantly and flushed. "Your son is corrupting my son," Harry accused, glaring at Draco.

Draco simply smiled in return and grabbed Harry's wrist, pulling him close. He leaned down to nibble lightly on Harry's ear. "How about in exchange for my son corrupting yours, I let you corrupt me?" Draco murmured, trailing his tongue around the shell of his ear.

Harry melted into Draco's chest. "Deal," he moaned as he pulled Draco's lips to his. He pulled away with a sigh when the sound of giggles reached their ears.

"Don't stop on our account," Scorpius yelled.

"They're so great together," Albus added, quieter than his companion.

Harry shook his head in amusement and dropped a chaste kiss on Draco's cheek. "Let's go watch the telly, shall we?" he suggested.

Draco nodded in agreement and let himself be led into the living room.

A few hours later, Albus and Scorpius emerged from the spare bedroom to find their fathers entangled on the couch, fast asleep. "Do we have to wake them up?" Albus whispered.

Scorpius laughed quietly. "Yes because you have to go to your mum's."

Al nodded reluctantly. "I guess. We'll have to convince them to get together again sometime this week."

"Based on what we've seen in the short time we've observed them, I don't think that should be any problem at all," Scorpius answered with a cheeky grin.

Albus laughed. "True. Fine then, let's wake them up."

Al made his way over to the slumbering couple and shook his dad's shoulder. "Daaaad," he called quietly. "We're supposed to go to Mum's."

Harry opened his eyes slowly with a groan. "Wha?" he grumbled.

"We're supposed to have dinner with the family," Al repeated.

Harry sat all the way up as he mumbled, "Right. I just need a few minutes to freshen up, and I'll be ready."

Draco began to stir next to him on the couch, but instead of waking up fully, he snuggled further into Harry's side. Harry ignored the excited tittering from their sons and smiled down at the blond man. He dropped a kiss on the top of his head and murmured into his ear, "Dracooo."

Draco's eyes fluttered open and took in his surroundings. "Did I fall asleep?" he asked sleepily.

"You both did. Al and I came out here, and you were fast asleep and cuddling," Scorpius informed him, beaming.

"It's about time we headed over to Ginny's," Harry said, a bit reluctantly.

Draco nodded in acknowledgement. "Scorpius and I will head home then, right Scor?"

"If we must," Scorpius responded dramatically with a pout.

"I'm sure I'll see you sometime this week," Albus chimed in, playfully consoling Scorpius with a pat on the arm.

"Too right. They won't be able to stay away from each other a whole week," Scorpius agreed with a smirk.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Draco chastised lightly. "Stop taking the piss out of Harry. You'll make it so he'll never want to see me again."

"Fine," Scorpius acquiesced with a sigh. "Let's go then. See you, Al. Bye, Mr. Potter."

Al responded in kind as Harry gave Draco one last kiss. "Good luck with the family," Draco encouraged. "Maybe I'll see you later?"

"Thanks, and we'll see about later."

Draco gave him a slight pout, but it soon melted into a warm smile just before he Disapparated with Scorpius on his arm.

When Harry and Albus arrived at what used to be their family home, they were hit with a variety of delicious spells wafting from the kitchen. "Dad!" Lily shrieked, launching herself into Harry's arms. "You're here!"

"I am!" Harry responded with a laugh, spinning his youngest around. "We meant to be here earlier, but your old man fell asleep."

Lily rolled her eyes as Harry set her down. "Well I'm glad you're here now. It's almost time for dinner."

"Just in time. I'm going to go see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen," Harry said, ruffling his little girl's hair before making his way to the kitchen. "Hey, Gin. Need any help?"

"Oh, good! Glad you're here. Everything is just about ready," she informed him with a smile.

"Sorry we're cutting it so close. I meant to be here sooner."

Ginny raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Did a certain blond ex-Slytherin detain you?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

"I'll have you know your son is very sneaky and managed to get Scorpius and Draco at my flat before I even knew what was happening. We fell asleep on the couch, and the boys were too busy doing Merlin knows what, probably conspiring, in the spare bedroom to wake us up," Harry ranted with a shake of the head.

"My son, huh?" was Ginny's only response. "No worries, you're here just in time. Let's get everything on the table. We can talk to the kids after dinner."

A few moments later, the whole family was gathered around the dinner table, enjoying a wonderful meal and catching up on the past several weeks. Harry was mostly silent, happy to take in the chatter around him and hear about his children's lives. He had to admit that as well as things had been going for him, he had definitely missed the chaos of the whole family eating dinner together.

As dinner began winding down, Ginny made pointed eye contact with Harry and inclined her head towards the kitchen. Harry nodded in response and made his way to the other room, levitating dirty dishes behind him. Ginny entered the kitchen a moment later. "So I was thinking now would be a good time to talk to them. It'll be a nice break before dessert. Well, maybe 'nice' is a little optimistic, but you know I mean."

"Sounds like a plan. Firewhisky?"

"Excellent suggestion."

After pouring a glass for both of them, the pair made their way into the dining room and had the kids gather in the living room. Once everyone had settled into their seats, Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance. "Oh no," James groaned. "Now what? You're already divorced, what could you possibly have to tell us with those looks on your faces?"

Harry chuckled softly as he studied his children. "Nothing bad, I promise. We're just not sure how you'll react," he began slowly. "Why don't I let your mother go first?"

"Coward," Ginny hissed before turning to smile at her children. "I have started...seeing someone."

There was a short silence before Lily broke it by tentatively asking, "Like you have a boyfriend?"

Ginny nodded, regarding the three of them closely to try and detect a reaction. "It's someone your father and I were at school with, but I didn't know him well back then. Now we're on a Quidditch team together."

There was another short silence before James spoke this time. "And how do you feel about this, Dad?" he asked, looking at his father.

"I think it's great. He's a good guy, and your mother deserves to be happy," Harry responded.

James nodded slowly, seemingly taking it all in. "And are you seeing someone too?" he inquired.

"I am. That's why we decided to tell you together. We're both seeing someone, and we're both okay with it. Happy for each other, actually" Harry replied earnestly.

Ginny nodded in agreement as they both took time to survey their kids. Albus was fidgeting with his sleeve, avoiding his siblings eyes. Lily was watching James out of the corner of her eye, presumably looking for direction on how to feel, and James's face was thoughtful yet unreadable. "How do you all feel about it?" Ginny asked tentatively. "We don't want to upset you."

"Well, Mum, I guess I think it's not really any of our business, is it? I, for one, just want you both to be happy," James said, a small smile on his face.

Harry looked at his son in shock. "Thanks, James. That's very mature of you. There is one last thing that I should probably add." James froze but looked at him curiously. Harry registered Albus's anticipatory flinch out of the corner of his eye which only served to make him more nervous. "I have been seeing Draco Malfoy."

There was a flash of some unidentified emotion in James's eyes. "So you're dating a man?" he bit out, a bitter tone in his voice. "Well I guess we know where Al got it from."

"James!" Ginny admonished sharply.

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking slightly apologetic. "I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just...I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm glad you're happy, but I just don't think I'm comfortable discussing it right now." He clenched his jaw and refused to look Harry in the eye.

"I completely understand, and I appreciate your honesty. You took it much better than your Uncle Ron," he added with a wink.

James laughed and rolled his eyes. "Is that really saying much? I love Uncle Ron, but he has a reputation to fly off the handle over every little thing."

Harry laughed along with his son. "How about some dessert?" he suggested lightly.

The group voiced their agreement and made their way back to the dining room. Lily hung back a little and tugged on Harry's shirt. "What's up, Lil?" he asked, sliding an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm glad you and Mum are happy. Also, I think that Mr. Malfoy was a good choice. He's very handsome," she whispered conspiratorially.

"Oy! Your brother said the same thing. What am I going to do with you two?"

Lily giggled as she skipped away to the table. Harry couldn't help but shake his head in amusement and admire his goofy, wonderful family.


	33. Chapter 33

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Well, everyone, this is the last chapter! Epilogue will be posted sometime this week, and then I have some other ideas I want to start working on. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 33**

Later that evening, the five Potters lounged around the living room, all stuffed with dessert and chatting. The atmosphere was loving but subdued, especially as the night wore on. "Hey, Dad. I'm getting tired. Do you think it's time to head out?" Albus suggested with a yawn.

Harry nodded tiredly in agreement. "I guess it's about that time."

The family gathered together, exchanging good byes and confirming plans for later in the week. After all the hugs and goodbyes, Harry Apparated the pair to the living room of his flat. They had barely caught their balance when Albus opened his mouth to ask coyly, "So, Dad, is your flat connected to the Floo network?"

"Yes," Harry answered hesitantly. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could just pop over to Malfoy Manor, have a drink, say goodnight," he said with an innocent look.

Harry chuckled and shook his head. "You are exhausting. Let me guess, Scorpius is expecting us," Harry hypothesized with a raise of his eyebrow.

"He is, and it would be very rude to leaving him waiting."

Harry sighed exaggeratedly. "Alright, let's go then."

"You know we just want you two to be happy, and we were worried that you would avoid spending time together while we were home. So we came up with ways to force you to spend time together. Sorry if it seems like too much," Albus replied sheepishly.

Harry smiled warmly at his son. "I appreciate it, and you're right. I probably wouldn't have seen him at all, but we don't need to go overboard," he informed him fondly.

"Yeah, alright. That's fair. We'll tone it down," Al agreed reluctantly as he stepped into the Floo and made his way to Malfoy Manor.

Draco and Scorpius lay on the floor of the study, playing a rowdy game of Exploding Snap. Scorpius was drinking a bottle of butterbeer, and Draco sipping firewhisky out of a rocks glass. They had spent the last couple of hours in this position, enjoying the game and their drinks. Draco had had much more to drink than his son, making sure to not get his young teen drunk. "Aha! I win again!" Scorpius exclaimed excitedly.

Draco sighed in mock despair. "You're just too good for me," he declared. "You think you could cut your old man some slack and move on to a different game?"

Scorpius surreptitiously glanced at the clock before agreeing. "You want a refill while I'm up? I'll grab chess."

"Yeah I suppose I'll have a refill."

Scorpius smirked in response. "You drunk yet?" he asked giggling.

Draco glared playfully at his son. "Ha ha...I maybe a little tipsy, but I am certainly of age."

The sound of the Floo roaring to life prevented Scorpius from answering. "Hmm, I wonder who that could be," Scorpius said, his face the epitome of innocence.

Draco rolled his eyes, not falling for the innocent act for a second. "Harry and Albus are here, huh?"

Scorpius gave his father a hopeful smile. "We'll just have to go and see!" he sing songed as he skipped away.

Draco chuckled and followed his son at a more leisurely pace, his heart speeding up in anticipation of seeing Harry. "Well, look who's here! Harry and Albus, what a surprise," Draco observed, watching his son and his friend collapse into giggles.

"Hi, Draco. Our sons are very persistent in their attempts to force us together. Luckily for them, it's not terribly hard to convince me to come see you," Harry greeted, stepping forward to pull Draco in for a kiss. Draco pulled him closer, opening his mouth to deepen the kiss. He blamed the alcohol but couldn't really bring himself to care.

"I suppose there are worse things they could be doing," Draco murmured against Harry's neck after he pulled away from the kiss.

Harry took a step back, chuckling quietly to himself. "Someone's been hitting the firewhisky tonight, huh?"

Draco had the decency to flush slightly but nodded to confirm Harry's suspicions. Scorpius and Albus giggled from a few feet away. "Well, I guess we'll just have to spend the night so you can take care of Mr. Malfoy in the morning," Albus suggested earnestly.

"I am not that drunk!" Draco protested. "But I certainly wouldn't mind waking up next to you tomorrow morning."

Harry sighed, glancing between the kids and his boyfriend. He was torn between wanting to stick to his original plan of keeping his distance when his son was home and melting into Draco's waiting, albeit drunk, arms. "Please," Draco pouted, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "I want to hear all about your dinner."

"Alright, alright," Harry caved. "But there will be nothing happening in that bed besides sleeping."

There was a pair of identical, indignant squawks from the boys. "Gross, Dad," Albus admonished with a fake gag.

"You were the ones who insisted we come here," Harry pointed out. "Draco can be rather irresistible though so no promises." He gave his son a wicked smirk.

"Merlin's beard. Let's go to my room, Al," Scorpius said in horror and dragged his friend up the stairs.

Draco dissolved into laughter as their son's scampered away. "Well done. They deserved a little revenge," he mumbled in amusement. "Shall we head to the study to chat about your evening?"

Harry nodded in agreement and followed Draco into the study. Draco poured them both a glass of firewhisky and then settled onto the couch, snuggling up against Harry's chest. Harry smiled and laid a gentle kiss on the top of his head. "You sure you need more of that?" he asked, gesturing to Draco's glass.

Draco turned enough to glare at Harry. "I am not that drunk," he insisted.

Harry chuckled and kissed him again. "I'm just teasing you."

Draco made a sound of annoyance before snuggling back into position. "So how was the dinner?" he inquired curiously, taking a sip.

Harry launched into a description of how nice it was to be a family again, as well as how the talk about their relationship had gone. By the end of the night, he truly felt that his kids would be okay with it and overall things had gone really well. "It was better than I could have expected," he concluded with a content sigh.

"That's great!" Draco enthused. "Now that that's out of the way, I have a proposal for you."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Harry inquired.

"Well, now that all of your family knows, and Scorpius knows, I was wondering if you would like to have dinner with me at La Fleur Magique tomorrow night?" Draco suggested, swirling the firewhisky in his drink nervously. La Fleur Magique was one of the most popular restaurants in Wizarding London, and it was Draco's way of asking Harry to go public with their relationship. There would be a good crowd on a Sunday evening, and it wouldn't take long for news of the relationship to spread, especially since the Savior was involved.

Harry tensed at his question and paused. "You sure you want to go public?"

"Yes. I'm just ready for everyone to know that you're mine because I couldn't be happier about it, and I want to be able to go out with you in Diagon Alley or anywhere else. I know plenty of good places of Muggle London, but it would be nice to able to go wherever we want," Draco explained, somewhat in a rush of nerves.

Harry relaxed underneath him and wrapped his arms around Draco in a reassuring hug. "Then I would love to go to La Fleur Magique with you tomorrow night."

Draco smiled contentedly and shifted around to kiss the dark-haired man in whose arms he was wrapped. Harry returned the smile into the kiss and pulled Draco closer to him. The pair remained tangled together on the couch, kissing unhurriedly and enjoying the closeness. After several minutes of this, Harry pulled away reluctantly. "What do you say we move this to your bedroom? Maybe lose some of our clothes along the way."

"I thought you said we would just be sleeping," Draco teased.

"What the boys don't know won't hurt them," Harry responded with a playful smirk.

Draco laughed, Apparating the pair up to his bedroom, immediately stripping off Harry's clothes and pushing him back onto the bed. Draco paused for a moment, staring at the gorgeous man sprawled on his bed who looking up at him with a seductive smile on his face. Draco made quick work of his own clothes and crawled into bed with his lover. He threw one leg over Harry's thighs and tangled one hand into Harry's constantly messy hair. Draco leaned into kiss the other man gently, pulling back to stare into his bright, emerald eyes. "I love you, Harry Potter," he whispered, nuzzling into Harry's neck to avoid seeing the look in those piercing eyes.

"I love you too, Draco Malfoy," Harry whispered back without hesitation, grabbing Draco's head and crushing their lips together in a passionate kiss that promised many, many more to come.


	34. Epilogue

**Disclaimer:** The Harry Potter universe and characters belongs to J.K. Rowling, unfortunately not me.

 **A/N:** Well, this is it! Thank you so much for everyone that stuck with it to the end! I truly appreciate all of the review, follows, and favorites. Keep an eye out for some new stories hopefully coming soon!

 **Epilogue**

 _January 31st, 2021 11:45pm_

Two years after their relationship began, Harry and Draco found themselves celebrating New Year's Eve much in the same way they had that year, at the Ministry's ball. This time, however, wherever one went the other followed closely instead of watching each other from afar. As Draco watched Harry joking with Ron and Hermione, he reflected on the past couple years. Things hadn't always been perfect, but all in all his relationship with Harry just felt right. They had hit a bit of a rough patch shortly after their first appearance in the wizarding community. It had, of course, made all of the papers, and none of the stories were particularly kind. It hadn't seemed to bother Harry, but it had bothered Draco immensely. Then the hate mail had started coming, and it made Draco start to pull away in what he felt was a preemptive measure. Luckily, Harry had seen right through his defense mechanisms, and they had managed to work it out.

There had been other blips in the radar. Dealing with some of their past had been difficult, and they had silly, mundane arguments like all couples. There had been a bit of a disagreement after they had agreed to move in together. There had been a tense couple of weeks where they debated where to live. Ultimately, they had decided to live at the Manor after Draco had promised he would consider moving once Scorpius finished Hogwarts.

Despite all of this, Draco had been happier in the last couple years with Harry than he ever had in his life. Which is how he found himself at the Ministry ball once again. He hadn't wanted to come tonight, but Harry had been insistent. Draco would have been extremely content spending the night at home, snuggled up against Harry's side, but he had a very hard time saying no to his nemesis-turned-lover. Harry turned to smile at him, as if reading his thoughts and dropped a light kiss on his hand. "It's just about midnight, how about a dance to ring in the New Year?" Harry murmured lovingly into his ear.

Draco smiled and nodded in response, allowing himself to be led out onto the dancefloor. Harry slid his hands onto Draco's shoulders and pulled him close. "You know," Draco started after a moment of content silence. "You really have gotten much better at this since school."

Harry scrunched up his face and stuck out his tongue childishly. "Shut up," he chided with no real bite to his words.

Draco chuckled and kissed the dark-haired man on the temple. After a few more moments of the couple slowly swaying to the music, the countdown began. Harry's eyes met Draco's, with a tender gaze, eyes shining with love. "3...2...1." As the giant clock struck midnight and noisemakers sounded throughout the room, Harry leaned in and captured Draco's lips in a loving kiss that made Draco weak in the knees. The kiss continued for several seconds before Harry pulled back slightly to smile at Draco. "I know you didn't really want to come tonight so how about we make the rounds to say goodbye, and then we head home?" Harry suggested, nuzzling Draco's ear with his nose.

Draco shivered slightly as Harry's breath hit his ear. "Sounds good to me," he murmured, dropping a kiss to the top of his head.

About thirty minutes later, Draco and Harry had successfully found everyone they needed to see and said their goodbyes. Within five minutes of being home, Draco had managed to change into his pajamas and sink into the couch in the study with a glass of firewhisky. Harry appeared a few minutes later, shaking his head at his boyfriend. "What?" Draco asked innocently.

"For someone who spends so much time getting ready to go out, you sure get comfortable quickly," he teased.

Draco huffed indignantly. "There is nothing wrong with wanting to look presentable when one is in public, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't rather be in pj's," he informed him.

Harry chuckled and flopped onto the couch next to Draco. He curled up into the blond man's side and began to nibble on Draco's ear lobe. "Wouldn't you rather be naked, writhing around underneath me?" he suggested seductively.

Draco moaned slightly, setting his drink down to turn his full attention on Harry. He pulled the other man onto his lap to kiss him thoroughly. Harry smirked in triumph into the kiss and began to grind his hips against Draco's, making both of them moan. "God, I love you," Harry groaned as Draco began to suck on his pulse point.

"So gorgeous," Draco whispered back as he slid off Harry's shirt. Between the amount of alcohol he had consumed and the beautiful man on his lap, his mind was starting to feel hazy with lust. Usually they tended to make love slowly and throughly, but tonight Draco wanted things fast and hard. To convey this to Harry, he began sliding the other man's pajama pants off.

Harry stood up to take them off completely, raising an eyebrow in question. "Someone is eager today," he observed.

Draco pulled off his shirt quickly before moving on to work on his pants. "Says the man not wearing any underwear," he responded with a smirk.

Within minutes Draco was on his back, panting and groaning with need. Harry had two fingers inside him, stretching him and teasing his prostate. "More," Draco choked out, arching his back to try and push his fingers farther inside of him.

Harry looked up at him, his pupils blown wide with lust as he slid a third finger in. "So fucking tight," he moaned. "Ready?" he asked, a desperate edge to his voice.

Draco nodded eagerly and keened as Harry's throbbing erection filled him. Harry dropped featherlight kisses across Draco's chest until he was fully seated inside of him. Draco wiggled his hips, encouraging Harry to move, and that was all it took for Harry to spring into action. He pulled his cock almost completely out before sliding back in, hitting Draco's prostate in the process. Draco felt like he was on fire as Harry began to thrust in earnest, moaning and grunting in pleasure. He felt his orgasm building, and Harry hadn't even touched him yet. By the look on Harry's face and the hurried pace at which he was thrusting, he was getting close as well. "So good," Harry moaned. "Merlin, I'm so close." He continued to thrust and slid his hand between their bodies to stroke Draco.

It only took a few strokes before Draco was exploding, his vision filling with stars and Harry's name falling from his lips. He was vaguely aware that Harry was filling him as he too was pushed over the edge. As the aftershocks of both of their orgasms began to subside, Harry collapsed next to Draco and threw an arm around him. "Happy New Year, Draco."

Draco smiled and kissed Harry in response. "Love you," he mumbled, his eyes falling closed in fatigue.

"I love you too" was the last thing he heard before he dropped into sleep.

Some time later, an alarm went off, pulling the pair abruptly out of a peaceful sleep. "What the bloody hell is that?" Draco asked grumpily.

"Mmm," Harry said with a stretch. "Must be 2:15."

"Why the fuck did you set an alarm for 2:15 am?!" Draco demanded with a glare.

Harry chuckled at his boyfriend's despair. "You'll see. Get dressed and meet me in the front hall."

Draco sighed in annoyance but did as he was told. Once he was fully dressed, he felt slightly more awake but still had no idea what Harry was up to. Usually Draco had to drag the other man out of bed so it had to be something important. "Alright, I'm dressed. Now what?" he grouched.

"Hey," Harry reprimanded. "If you don't stop being grumpy, I won't tell you."

Draco sighed again but his lips twitched in a slight smile. "Alright, fine. Proceed."

Harry smiled at him before looking away, appearing almost nervous. He seemed to compose himself, however, as he turned around, positioning Draco so he was facing the Floo. Once the pair was arranged the way that Harry wanted, he reached into his pocket. He levitated the object that he removed and enlarged it. Draco realized that it was a clock set to 11:59, the same clock that he had used to recreate midnight two years ago. Draco wasn't completely sure what was happening, but his heart sped up in anticipation.

With a flick of his wand, Harry started the watch. He took a deep breath and reached out to take Draco's hands in his. "Two years ago, I showed up in this very foyer with this very clock to get the best midnight kiss of my life. It may have been close to 2:30 in the morning when it actually happened, but it counts in my book. Since then, you have done nothing but make me happier and happier by the day. I never saw this coming, but now that it's happened, I never want to lose this, lose you." Draco felt his eyes begin to well up with tears of joy as he slowly realized what was happening. Harry glanced back at the clock, and as there were just 10 seconds left until "midnight," a tinny voice began to countdown. Harry smiled at Draco before dropping down to one knee. "Draco Malfoy, I want you to be my midnight kiss every year for the rest of my life. I love you, and I couldn't imagine life without you. Will you marry me?" He finished his speech just as the countdown ended and fireworks exploded above his head.

By this point, tears were flowing steadily down Draco's cheeks as he stared down at the beautiful man, holding out a simple, gold ring to him. "Yes! Merlin, yes! Of course I'll marry you!" he choked out, not trusting his voice to say anything else.

Harry's face broke out into an ecstatic grin as tears began to leak out of his eyes as well. He jumped up, pulling Draco into a wet, excited kiss. They were both crying and laughing as they embraced. "I love you, Harry Potter," Draco sobbed, as Harry slipped the ring on his finger.

"I love you too," Harry responded, unable to stop smiling. "Aren't you glad you let me wake you up?"

"For this? I suppose I forgive you," Draco said haughtily.

"But if you would like, we can go to bed now and celebrate in the morning," Harry conceded, barely concealing a yawn.

Draco chuckled but nodded in agreement. "Celebrate tomorrow," he repeated, grabbing Harry's hand and leading him up the stairs to his bedroom. Years ago, if someone would have told Draco that in the early hours of 2022, he would be getting engaged to Harry Potter, he would have suggested that the individual get him or herself to St. Mungo's to get checked out. Today, however, it was a different type of disbelief. As he slid into bed with this amazing man who had just proposed, he couldn't believe that he could be so lucky to find someone who made him feel the way that he did. And somehow it only made sense that it was none other than Harry Potter.

 _The End_


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